Photo: Volvo
The Swedish-Chinese automaker has decided that Midsummer (June 24) needs to be celebrated in the purest Nordic form and asked American-Swedish contemporary artist Shai Dahan to help it infuse a fully electric Volvo C40 Recharge with the proper celebratory atmosphere.
First and foremost, what is Midsummer? According to National Today, in the United States, Midsummer is celebrated on June 24 and is treated as the best day to "appreciate all the gifts that nature gives us." In fact, the date marks the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, which is actually on June 20 – but the old Julian calendar marked it differently. So, there you go, Midsummer Day remains in the wrong place (LOL). Anyway, the celebration, which is basically a festival with ancient, pre-Christian roots, is a holiday originating in Sweden that has spread across Northern Europe and around the world with traditional festivities – from maypole dancing and seafood buffets to bonfires.
Well, Volvo is not eager to see any fires during Midsummer because they are marking the occasion with a special zero-emissions C40 Recharge subcompact luxury crossover coupe SUV. And we all know that EVs and fires don't get along all that fine. Fine ironies cast aside "to celebrate the cherished Swedish tradition of welcoming the summer solstice," Volvo's SUA arm kicked off a collaboration with Dahan to imagine a hand-painted "representation of Midsummer in New York City."
Naturally, the C40 Recharge mixes its nature inspiration with traits derived from Scandinavian folklore, with "a picturesque mural of brightly intertwined flowers to represent both the Swedish and New York City spirits" painted on the SUV's profile. As always, Volvo didn't forget to remind everyone they remain committed to sustainability, aiming to become "100 percent electric by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2040." The artist's work is open to the public, by the way, during two sessions (June 13 through 16 and June 19 and 20) at the Volvo Studio Manhattan, located at 565 Eleventh Avenue, New York, NY.
A reveal event is also planned for June 22, with a Midsummer celebration at the Studio. Then it will be displayed to the general public during the 25th anniversary of the Swedish Midsummer Festival presented by the Consulate General of Sweden in Rockefeller Park on June 23, where anyone can "partake in traditional Swedish activities such as dancing around the Midsummer pole, making flower wreaths and tasting traditional Swedish delicacies." Volvo also did not forget to remind everyone about the C40 Recharge – which was recently updated alongside its SC40 Recharge sibling with more power and range – and its starting MSRP of $55,300.
But that also allows us to bring back into discussion the biggest hero of Volvo's sustainable mobility plans – the all-new, first-ever EX30. Developed as part of Geely's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform alongside models like Zeekr X and Smart #1, the subcompact crossover EV will be offered with either an incredible price tag of just $35k or a dual-motor AWD powertrain that comes remarkably close to sports car performance. And that, indeed, is going to be a complex mix possibly too hard to beat – even if you won't have both (affordability and supercar figures) extremes simultaneously. Hey, things are bound to be engaging in the area of cheap yet safe and cool EVs from now on, as Volvo just threw the glove at its opponents.
Well, Volvo is not eager to see any fires during Midsummer because they are marking the occasion with a special zero-emissions C40 Recharge subcompact luxury crossover coupe SUV. And we all know that EVs and fires don't get along all that fine. Fine ironies cast aside "to celebrate the cherished Swedish tradition of welcoming the summer solstice," Volvo's SUA arm kicked off a collaboration with Dahan to imagine a hand-painted "representation of Midsummer in New York City."
Naturally, the C40 Recharge mixes its nature inspiration with traits derived from Scandinavian folklore, with "a picturesque mural of brightly intertwined flowers to represent both the Swedish and New York City spirits" painted on the SUV's profile. As always, Volvo didn't forget to remind everyone they remain committed to sustainability, aiming to become "100 percent electric by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2040." The artist's work is open to the public, by the way, during two sessions (June 13 through 16 and June 19 and 20) at the Volvo Studio Manhattan, located at 565 Eleventh Avenue, New York, NY.
A reveal event is also planned for June 22, with a Midsummer celebration at the Studio. Then it will be displayed to the general public during the 25th anniversary of the Swedish Midsummer Festival presented by the Consulate General of Sweden in Rockefeller Park on June 23, where anyone can "partake in traditional Swedish activities such as dancing around the Midsummer pole, making flower wreaths and tasting traditional Swedish delicacies." Volvo also did not forget to remind everyone about the C40 Recharge – which was recently updated alongside its SC40 Recharge sibling with more power and range – and its starting MSRP of $55,300.
But that also allows us to bring back into discussion the biggest hero of Volvo's sustainable mobility plans – the all-new, first-ever EX30. Developed as part of Geely's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform alongside models like Zeekr X and Smart #1, the subcompact crossover EV will be offered with either an incredible price tag of just $35k or a dual-motor AWD powertrain that comes remarkably close to sports car performance. And that, indeed, is going to be a complex mix possibly too hard to beat – even if you won't have both (affordability and supercar figures) extremes simultaneously. Hey, things are bound to be engaging in the area of cheap yet safe and cool EVs from now on, as Volvo just threw the glove at its opponents.
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