Volvo Has Postponed The Launch Of The XC40 Recharge EV To Early 2022

The delay is due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage affecting automotive manufacturers on a global scale

• The XC40 Recharge is Volvo’s first all-electric offering.

• It had been showcased in India in early 2021 and was expected to launch around October.

• The global semiconductor shortage has forced Volvo to reschedule production, thereby postponing the India launch.

• It featured a twin-battery setup with a claimed range of 418km and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain.

• Once launched, the XC40 Recharge would be the most affordable luxury EV in India

The Volvo XC40 Recharge is the brand’s first all-electric offering, and is based on the XC40 compact SUV. It was expected to launch in India in the final quarter of 2021 but its production and launch have been rescheduled due to the global semiconductor shortage.

The XC40 Recharge was showcased in India as well in March 2021 and bookings were expected to begin in June. It features a twin-battery setup, with two electric motors for an all-wheel-drive system. Volvo claims a WLTP (World harmonised Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure) range of 418km with a performance rating of 408PS/660Nm. This electric version of the XC40 can support up to 150kW of fast charging to top up the battery from 0 to 80 percent in 40 minutes.

The XC40 Recharge made its global debut in 2019. Its bookings and launch in India have now been postponed to early 2022. Jyoti Malhotra, MD, Volvo Car India, stated, “The company believes in giving a committed delivery date to its customers once they book. Volvo Car India will continue to deliver the current lineup.”

Volvo currently offers the petrol variants of the XC40 and S60 with petrol variants of the XC60 and S90 luxury sedan scheduled to be launched later this year.

The XC40 Recharge was expected to be offered in a single top-spec variant only. As a luxury offering, it would be equipped with a vertically oriented 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Google Assist, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, heated and cooled power-adjustable front seats and a panoramic sunroof. Safety would likely be covered by six airbags and Volvo’s suite of radar-based features like autonomous braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control.

The XC40 Recharge gets minor cosmetic differences over the regular combustion-engine variants such as an EV-specific grille. Other design details like the “Thor’s hammer” LED headlamps and dual tone exterior are the same as the standard XC40.

Volvo’s first all-electric offering was expected to be priced at around Rs 60 lakh, which would make it a lot pricier than the petrol variant, but still significantly more affordable than other luxury electric SUVs like the Audi e-tron, Jaguar i-Pace and Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Also read: Audi e-Tron Vs Jaguar i-Pace Vs Mercedes Benz EQC: Electric SUVs Compared

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