We’ve heard that Volvo plans to introduce an all-electric vehicle for quite some time now, but nobody except the Swedish automaker knows what sort of body style it will have. Chief designer Thomas Ingenlath wants us to wonder no more, for he has confirmed that the XC40 EV will arrive next year alongside the Polestar 2.
“It’s not a secret anymore that the first full electric Volvo is on its way with the XC40 coming," Ingenlath told Autocar.co.uk. "It will arrive very soon after the Polestar 2. That is the first to come that’s not exotic.” But Volvo won’t stop here.
“The next car [to go electric] will be the next-generation XC90,” which will introduce the Scalable Product Architecture II to the automaker’s lineup. The second-generation SPA is under development with full electrification in mind, for it will underpin the Polestar 3 “low and aerodynamic” sport utility vehicle.
Regarding the Polestar 2, the company wants us to believe that the Tesla Model 3 won’t find it easy with such a rival on the market. Although it remains to be seen how Polestar and Tesla will stack up against each other in regard to electric vehicle technology, it’s reassuring that someone continues to believe in the sedan segment.
In addition to the XC40 EV, Polestar 2, and Polestar 3, the all-new V40 is also up for electrification. According to an older report, Volvo will have “at least two different battery sizes on offer” for the V40. And now, let’s talk about the drivetrain.
Considering that the XC40 T5 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid is exclusively available with front-wheel drive, it’s best to expect Volvo to feature a similar layout for the XC40 EV. Be that as it may, the possibility of a dual-motor option shouldn’t be dismissed.
As for driving range, Volvo published an interesting video on YouTube last year (see below), claiming that 500 kilometers (310 miles) are doable in this application.
In related news, have you heard the S60 compact executive sedan is all-new from the ground up for the 2019 model year?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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