2019-09-25 10:15
Volvo has announced that it will launch a fully-electric version of the XC40 SUV on 16 October. It will be the Swedish brand’s first pure-electric vehicle, which will join the recently released XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid in the model’s line-up when it goes on sale in 2020.
Volvo has extensively reconfigured the XC40’s underpinnings, claiming that the all-electric XC40 will be “one of the safest cars on the road” despite the challenges posed by the absence of an internal combustion engine.
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Revisions include a redesigned and reinforced front crash structure, which adds additional strength to compensate for the lack of a conventional engine. Volvo has also developed a unique aluminium safety cell for the passenger compartment that creates a crumple zone around the battery pack.
Volvo has also reworked the XC40’s rear structure to accommodate the electric motor. The battery pack’s placement in the floor of the vehicle has also lowered the XC40’s centre of gravity, which Volvo says will offer better protection against roll-overs.
The all-electric XC40 will be the first vehicle to feature Volvo’s new Advanced Driver Assistance System, comprising an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Volvo says the technology is expandable and scalable, and that it lays the foundation for its future autonomous vehicles.
Details on the all-electric XC40’s powertrain remain sparse but, judging by Volvo’s series of renders, it will be four-wheel-drive with a pair of electric motors being used to drive the front and rear axles. Further specifications will be announced in the coming weeks.
What do you make of the all-electric Volvo XC40? Let us know in the comments section below…
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