Volvo begins manufacturing the C40 Recharge electric car

By dosula, 3 November, 2021

Volvo started manufacturing the C40 Recharge fully electric car at its facility in Ghent, Belgium. The C40 Recharge is Volvo's second fully electric vehicle and the next in a succession of new electric cars to be introduced in the future years. Volvo plans to sell solely electric cars by 2030 and be a carbon-neutral corporation by the end of 2040. The Ghent factory, one of Volvo's largest plants, is an essential element of the company's electrification strategy. The Ghent facility also manufactures the fully electric version of the XC40 Recharge, Volvo Cars' first pure electric vehicle.

Simultaneously, Volvo Cars is significantly boosting the capacity of the Ghent facility to 135,000 cars per year, and the company anticipates that more than half of the plant's production volume in 2022 will be completely electric vehicles.

The Volvo C40 Recharge reflects the future of Volvo Cars in several ways: it is the first Volvo vehicle in history to be developed entirely as a pure electric car, and it will be available online. In addition, Volvo is entering a new sector with a breakthrough design and features not before seen in Volvo cars, thanks to its SUV components and benefits paired with a compressed profile.

The Volvo C40 Recharge electric SUV is based on the same foundation as the Volvo XC40 and has the same sense of power and character as its sibling but with an athletic and graceful appearance. Individual features reflect this concept of experimenting with something familiar: new pixel LED bulbs that automatically adjust to lighting conditions and switch on and off individually to improve the light pattern. In addition, the similarly distinctive vertical taillights are now segmented, demonstrating the technological challenge of extending a single big lamp down the roofline while giving a contemporary twist on a traditional design.

Volvo has decreased the complexity of its product line while maintaining a high level of equipment. For example, the Volvo C40 Recharge electric SUV comes standard with adaptive cruise control, a heat pump, pilot assist, pixel technology, a panoramic sunroof, an electric passenger seat, heated steering wheel and seats, a 360-degree parking camera, and a Harman Kardon sound system.

The Volvo C40 Recharge electric SUV is equipped with two engines, one front and one back, as well as AWD (four-wheel drive). The electric motors produce 408 horsepower and 660 Nm of torque. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 mph in 4.9 seconds. For safety reasons, the highest speed is limited to 180 km/h, like with all new Volvo vehicles.

The battery in the Volvo C40 Recharge has a capacity of 78kWh and a range of 420 kilometers. The C40 Recharge supports AC charging up to 11kW and DC charging up to 150kW. The maximum towing weight is 1800 kilograms.

Image gallery: