The highly anticipated Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge has been spotted on South African roads, marking the local arrival of the Swedish firm’s first all-electric vehicle (EV).
A mere four days after Volvo opened the order books for the battery-powered XC40 in May 2021, all initial slots were sold out. Now the first example has made local landfall, being handed over to its excited new owner at the Tom Campher Volvo Cars dealership in Johannesburg.
In order to meet growing local demand, Volvo Car South Africa has secured an additional allocation of units, with orders now being taken and deliveries expected in June 2022. The XC40 P8 Recharge, which sits at the summit of the popular XC40 range and is priced at R1.2 million, is sold exclusively online via the automaker’s innovative My Volvo website.
Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director at Volvo Car South Africa, says the purchase of the brand’s first pure electric model comes with all manner of additional benefits.
“The XC40 P8 Recharge ships standard with the Volvo CARE package, which includes not only a five-year maintenance plan and warranty – with the battery pack covered for eight years or 160 000 km – but also three years of comprehensive insurance, use of a petrol-powered vehicle for a two week holiday every year for three years, a home charging wallbox, and all the requisite charge cables,” explains Maruszewski.
Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director, Volvo Car South Africa
As a reminder, Volvo says the electric compact SUV – which forms part of the broader Recharge range which made up 27 per cent of the company’s total sales volume in 2021– is able to travel up to 418 km on a single charge, with 80% of its battery capacity replenished in just 40 minutes when using a fast charger.
Fitted with twin electric motors and a 78 kWh battery pack, the XC40 P8 Recharge boasts lofty peak outputs of 304 kW and 660 Nm. With power directed to all four wheels, the XC40 P8 Recharge is capable of seeing off the obligatory 0-100 km/h sprint in a mere 4.9 seconds.
In true Volvo form, the automaker’s first EV is crammed full of standard safety equipment, including various driver assistance features, and shares its five-star Euro NCAP rating with its combustion-engined siblings.
