Volvo has started accepting pre-orders for the 2021 C40 Recharge in certain European countries earlier this week. The electric coupe-SUV first launched in the Netherlands and Norway, followed by the United Kingdom and Sweden a couple of days later, and will eventually make its way to other markets in the coming weeks.
Production will kick off at the company’s Ghent factory in Belgium this fall, where its platform-sharing sibling, the XC40 Recharge, also comes to life. Despite using the same CMA underpinnings, the C40 Recharge is actually Volvo’s first model designed as a pure-electric vehicle.
It shares the styling traits of its more practical counterpart, but with new quirks, featuring a lower and sleeker design. The front end is unmistakably Volvo, with the specific Thor’s Hammer LED headlights on each side of the closed off grille. The roofline is more arched behind the B pillars, ending with a double-bubble spoiler, and at the back, it sports a more discreet tailgate spoiler, Volvo badge right under it, and thin LED taillights.
The dashboard has a simple layout and incorporates a portrait-oriented infotainment system in the middle, based on the Android operating system with Google built-in services and apps, flanked by two air vents. The center console hosts physical buttons for the music, defogger and hazard lights, and further down, it has a 12V socket and two USB ports. The front seats are separated by the gear selector, two cup holders, and an armrest. Certain aspects of the vehicle will be improved over time, as it supports over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The twin-motor set-up generates a combined 402 HP and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque, and is powered by a 78 kWh battery pack, which supports fast-charging, taking around 40 minutes to be juiced up to 80%. The WLTP driving range has yet to be announced, but Volvo estimates that it will be able to travel for approximately 260 miles (420 km) on a single charge.
It shares the styling traits of its more practical counterpart, but with new quirks, featuring a lower and sleeker design. The front end is unmistakably Volvo, with the specific Thor’s Hammer LED headlights on each side of the closed off grille. The roofline is more arched behind the B pillars, ending with a double-bubble spoiler, and at the back, it sports a more discreet tailgate spoiler, Volvo badge right under it, and thin LED taillights.
The dashboard has a simple layout and incorporates a portrait-oriented infotainment system in the middle, based on the Android operating system with Google built-in services and apps, flanked by two air vents. The center console hosts physical buttons for the music, defogger and hazard lights, and further down, it has a 12V socket and two USB ports. The front seats are separated by the gear selector, two cup holders, and an armrest. Certain aspects of the vehicle will be improved over time, as it supports over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The twin-motor set-up generates a combined 402 HP and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque, and is powered by a 78 kWh battery pack, which supports fast-charging, taking around 40 minutes to be juiced up to 80%. The WLTP driving range has yet to be announced, but Volvo estimates that it will be able to travel for approximately 260 miles (420 km) on a single charge.