Volvo reveals new electric SUV, the C40 Recharge

• Prices are so far unknown, but we expect a £50,000 price tag when it hits forecourts in 2022
• The new Volvo will rival the likes of the Jaguar F-Pace and Kia e-Niro
• C40 Recharge has a 260-mile range and can be fast-charged to 80% in around 40 minutes

Volvo has launched its second fully electric vehicle, the C40 Recharge. The coupe SUV follows the first electric car launched by the Swedish carmaker - the XC40 Recharge. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but we expect a £50,000 price tag when it launches next year.

Following similar announcements from Ford and Jaguar, Volvo has promised to go all-electric by 2030. And here we have the first of several electric models the firm says it will manufacture over the next few years.

The C40 Recharge will go into production this autumn and will be built alongside the XC40 Recharge at the Volvo manufacturing plant in Ghent, Belgium.

It will be followed by an electric version of the next-generation XC90 seven-seater – tipped to arrive next year – and a smaller SUV built on a new platform, set to be named the XC20.

The C40 Recharge gets the same powertrain as the electric Polestar 2 (Polestar is the electric performance car brand under Geely, Volvo’s parent company). That means the C40 is powered by twin electric motors, one on the front and one on the rear axle, powered by a 78kWh battery that can be fast-charged to 80% in about 40 minutes on a 150kW charger.

A full battery is good for around 260 miles, while the electric motors generate 408PS and this gets the e-SUV to 62mph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds. As with all Volvos, the C40's top speed is limited to 112mph.

The front end of the C40 looks pretty much the same as the electric version of the XC40 - though the new C40 is 70mm lower than the XC40 and a fraction shorter. It will be Volvo’s first completely leather-free model, as well as featuring Volvo’s new Android-based touchscreen infotainment system. Volvo has yet to release any images of the C40 Recharge's interior, although it’s expected to be similar inside to the XC40 Recharge.

Prices have yet to be set, but the C40 will likely be priced around £50,000 - cementing itself firmly in premium electric SUV territory alongside the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron. Buyers looking to spend a little less will likely look towards something less costly, like the Kia e-Niro.   

The C40 has been launched in line with Volvo’s ambition for half of its global sales to be full EVs by 2025 and to be an EV-only firm by 2030.