Volvo Cars is making changes to its electric vehicle lineup, part of its strategy to transition to a fully electric car manufacturer by 2030. The company has announced a streamlined and standardised approach to naming its fully electric models.
The fully-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge will now be known as the EX40 and EC40 respectively. This aligns them with Volvo's other electric models: the EX30, EX90, and EM90. Note that the XC40 name will still be used for internal combustion engine versions of the model.
Apart from the name changes, Volvo will remove the "Recharge" badging from its plug-in hybrid models, which will now be denoted by the T6 or T8 suffix indicating different power outputs. Volvo says the goal of these changes is to make it easier for customers to differentiate between fully electric and hybrid models while shopping for a Volvo.
Volvo is also introducing a Performance software pack for its EX40 and EC40 Twin Motor variants. The Performance software enhances acceleration by increasing power output by 34 PS, up to 442 PS in ‘Performance’ drive mode. It also introduces a specialized pedal mapping for more responsive feedback.
The company also highlighted improvements to its hybrid products, including more efficient engine combustion cycles for B5 mild hybrid petrol variants of the XC60 and XC90, resulting in up to 4 percent CO2 emission reductions and improved fuel economy.
Depending on market, there will also be a special Black Edition for the EX40, EC40, and XC40 models, featuring Onyx Black paint, high gloss black badging, 20-inch five-spoke alloys in high gloss black, and a choice between microtech or textile charcoal interiors.
In Malaysia, the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant of the Volvo XC40 was recently discontinued, leaving the B5 mild hybrid as the sole combustion engine option, priced at RM 278,888, which is identical to the fully-electric XC40 Recharge. Meanwhile, the C40 Recharge is priced at RM 288,888.
Also read: Distancing from Geely, Volvo to drop CMA platform for multi-core computing-capable SPA2/GPA