Volvo C40 Recharge orders open with Tesla Model Y in its sights: All-electric SUV to start at $74,990

While Australia’s Tesla fans wait patiently – and increasingly impatiently – for Model Y orders to open, Volvo has confirmed pricing and specification details for its own all-electric SUV, with Volvo C40 Recharge orders open in Australia.

The C40 Recharge will arrive in Australia in Q3 this year in single motor and dual motor variants, allowing buyers to choose between performance or range.

The single motor version of the C40 Recharge will wear a $74,990 price tag, and is fitted with a 69kWh battery powering a single front-mounted electric motor producing 170kW and 330Nm — enough for a  7.4-second sprint to 100km/h.

Driving range is listed at a healthy 434 kilometres, with the battery also able to go from 10- to 80-percent charged in 32 minutes when using a 150kW DC fast charger.

If performance is your target, though, then the dual motor variant will be more up your street, with the more potent C40 generating a formidable 300kW and 660Nm from its twin electric motors, reducing the charge to 100km/h to just 4.7 seconds.

The dual motor C40 is fitted with a bigger 78kWh (charging from 10 to 80 per cent now takes 40 minutes on that same 150kW charger), and it will travel 420km between charges.

There is a fairly hefty price premium, however, with the dual motor listing at $82,490, or $7500 more than the single motor version.

Both models, then, will miss out on government rebates in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. You do get plenty of standard equipment, though, including a Polestar 2-style Google operating system, a 9.0-inch central screen, heated seats front and rear and a panoramic roof. Dual motor models than add things like AWD, 20-inch alloys and a Harman Kardon sound system.

“The future of Volvo Cars is electric, and the C40 Recharge is the first model in Volvo’s history designed as pure electric only,” says Volvo Car Australia Managing Director, Stephen Connor.

“It has the personality of the very popular XC40, but it’s more dynamic with a sleeker profile. It’s a very attractive car for people who are looking for the easy- to-live-with aspects of an SUV with more of a modern statement.

“The launch of Volvo C40 Recharge is another step along the way to Volvo’s goal of making all-electric account for half the cars we sell globally by 2025, as part of an overall plan to go completely pure-electric by 2030”.