Volvo XC40 EV to be more affordable with arrival of single motor model

December 29, 2021December 30, 2021 Toby Hagon 4739 Views volvo

The Volvo XC40 Pure Electric will soon be more affordable with the imminent arrival of a single motor version of the compact SUV in 2022.

The XC40 Recharge Pure Electric will sit alongside the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin when an updated MY23 model arrives around the middle of 2023. It will be joined in the Volvo showroom by the C40, the first model from the Swedish brand that will only be sold as an EV.

As with the Twin, the Volvo XC40 single motor shares its architecture and electrical components with the Polestar 2.

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To be priced from $72,990 plus on-road costs, the single motor version of the XC40 EV is around $4000 cheaper than the XC40 Pure Electric Twin that already has buyers queuing to own it.

However, that dual-motor version will soon step up in price to $79,990 (plus costs) as part of the model update that brings revised bumpers, grille, headlight surrounds and wheels (images of the updated XC40 haven’t been released yet). That price rise will see it miss out on the stamp duty discount in NSW, effectively adding almost $3000 to the $3000 list price increase, for $6000 in total.

The XC40 EV will also drop its leather trim for “sustainable upholstery” as part of the eco sales pitch, but it will pick up pixel headlights with individual LEDs that can blank out other road users.

Volvo Car Australia managing director Stephen Connor said the imminent arrival of the single motor XC40 EV model was about growing sales.

“Demand for XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is unprecedented as Australians embrace electric cars in increasing numbers,” said Connor, adding that “our forward order book has never been stronger”.

“The introduction of the single motor variant in 2022 will enable us to respond to this extraordinary demand with even a more affordable Pure Electric option.”

The soon-to-arrive single motor version of the XC40 Pure Electric gets a 170kW/330Nm front-mounted electric motor driving the front wheels.

The single motor XC40 gets a smaller battery pack with a claimed capacity of 69kWh versus the Twin’s claimed 78kWh battery capacity (75kWh of hich is usable).

That reduces the range to around 380km versus the 418km of the dual-motor model.

The single motor takes about 7.4 seconds to hit 100km/h versus 4.9 seconds for the dual motor XC40 Pure Electric.

EV charging can be done at 11kW using an AC charger or up to 150kW for rapid DC charging.

The single motor XC40 Recharge Pure Electric gets a broad range of equipment that mostly matches the Twin version. That includes a panoramic sunroof, smart key entry, wireless phone charging, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel and a four-year data subscription to utilise the built in Android Automotive operating systems that includes a Google Assistant.

The first three years of servicing is also included in the deal.

Volvo XC40 Recharge will be available as an updated MY23 model with a single motor option around the middle of 2022

The main specification differences between the single motor and dual motor include no Harman Kardon sound system and 19-inch wheels versus the 20-inch units on the XC40 Twin EV.

As with the MY23 Twin, it will not get leather – part of a move by Volvo to more sustainable materials.

Volvo is also forecasting big sales growth in Australia over the next few years, in part off the back of a switch to hybrid and EV models.

As with many brands, Volvo has been short of stock in 2021, leading to wait lists on some models.

“We have secured a minimum of 20 percent production growth for 2022 and we will continue to push for even more production to meet the demand of the brand,” said Connor.

“If our factories can keep up, then our volumes will hit 15,000 units in the near future.”

If that 15,000 sales number is realised it would be almost double the sales volumes achieved in 2019 and 2020 and build on the circa-24-percent growth the brand has experienced locally in 2021.