Volvo has confirmed Irish pricing for its much-anticipated XC40 P8 Recharge - the first fully-electric Volvo model to go on sale.
Borrowing from the Polestar 2
Unsurprisingly, the XC40 Recharge borrows a lot of the tech from its cousin, the Polestar 2, but that car is not yet officially on sale here in Ireland. The XC40 gets a one-charge range of 'more than 400km' (actually 418km to be precise) and can top itself up to 80 per cent battery capacity in 40 minutes from a rapid DC charger.
The price? €64,314 to you, and Volvo is also offering a 'Volvo Care' package - this isn't quite the subscription ownership model that applies in some other markets, but does include your servicing, warranty, roadside assistance, and €500 contribution towards your insurance costs.
The arrival of the XC40 P8 is a major step on Volvo's planned road to be a fully electric brand by 2030, and a carbon-neutral brand by 2040. It gets two 150kW electric motors, giving it four-wheel drive, and a maximum 408hp, plus as much as 660Nm of torque.
78kWh battery pack
That's enough to shove the P8 to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds, with a limited top speed of 180km/h. All of that is powered by a 78kWh battery, of which 74kWh is available to the driver. The maximum charging speed, on DC power, is 150kW, or 11kW on AC charging. A full charge on AC power takes around eight hours.
Inside, much of the existing XC40 interior is carried over (including the carpets made entirely from recycled plastics) and as well as the decent 414-litre boot, there's a 'frunk' storage space under the bonnet, which can hold 31 litres.
The infotainment system uses the new software, designed by Google Android, which is already in use in the Polestar 2. It gets embedded access to Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store, and is updated over the air when needed.
Safety a priority
This being a Volvo, it's all-but needless to say safety was high on the agenda, especially protecting the battery from potential damage. "The battery is protected by a safety cage which consists of a frame of extruded aluminium and has been embedded in the middle of the car's body structure, creating a built-in crumple zone around it. The battery's placement in the floor of the car also has the benefit of lowering the centre of gravity of the car, for better protection against roll-overs" said Volvo in a statement.
There's also a scalable Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform that consists of an array of radars, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors. This platform, says Volvo, "enables the development and deployment of active safety systems in the car, such as the detection of other road users, automatic braking, and collision avoidance. It also allows for gentle driver support from standstill up to highway speeds, through the Pilot Assist function."
You can order your XC40 P8 Recharge from Volvo Ireland's website now, and to help keep things simple, there's a selection of curated, pre-configured versions that you can more easily click and reserve.