Volvo‘s next electric vehicle (EV), the C40 Recharge, is set to feature single- and dual-motor variants when it touches down on Australian soil early in the second half of 2022.
Initially detailed as a dual-motor only proposition, a single-electric motor variant will be added to the global line-up before its local arrival.
“It is our intention to have both of the variants from [the] start,” said a Volvo Australia spokesperson.
As previously reported, Australian-spec C40 Recharge models will be produced in China at Volvo’s Taizhou plant.
Overseas models shown
Based on the XC40, the C40 Recharge coupe SUV has a lower and more steeply raked roof line, as well as a hatchback-style tailgate.
The dual-motor variant of the C40 Recharge shares its electric drivetrain with the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric SUV and Polestar 2 high-riding hatchback. The single-motor variant will likely do the same.
In single-motor guise, the XC40 and Polestar 2 Long Range are powered by a front-mounted electric motor producing 170kW of power and 330Nm of torque.
In dual-motor form on the other hand, there’s an electric motor on each axle producing a total of 300kW and 660Nm.
The single-motor is expected to use a 69kWh battery and feature a claimed WLTP range of around 380km; the dual-motor version has a 78kWh battery and WLTP range of 420km.
Both models should support DC fast charging at up to 150kW and AC charging at up to 11kW.
The C40 Recharge is the first Volvo to be leather-free, with all C40s coming with synthetic options made from bio-based and recycled materials.
An example of this is Nordico, a Volvo-developed material made from recycled PET bottles, bio material from sustainable Scandinavian forests, and recycled wine corks.
The cabin of the C40 Recharge is largely carried over from the XC40 and includes the company’s latest Android-based infotainment system with Google Maps, Google Assistant and app store all pre-loaded.
In other markets, the C40 Recharge gets unlimited data that helps with over-the-air software updates.
Local pricing and specification of the C40 Recharge has yet to be confirmed, and will be revealed closer to its launch.
It’s unclear exactly what the C40 Recharge will cost exactly but it’s expected to be slightly more than the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, as per coupe SUV tradition.
The 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric single motor for reference costs $72,990 before on-road costs, and the dual-motor version costs $79,990 before on-road costs.
MORE: Everything Volvo C40
