Volvo Cars has announced changes to the naming convention of its fully electric vehicle lineup as part of its strategy to become a fully electric car manufacturer by 2030. The company has renamed its fully electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge models to EX40 and EC40, aligning them with other electric models like the EX30, EX90, and EM90. This rebranding leaves the XC40 name to be used exclusively for models powered by internal combustion engines.
The renaming initiative is a reflection of Volvo’s commitment to electric vehicle production, highlighted by the fact that fully electric cars made up 16 percent of Volvo’s global sales in 2023, marking a 70 percent increase compared to 2022. With the introduction of the EX30, EX90, and EM90 models in the same year, Volvo’s electric vehicle portfolio has expanded to five models, with plans to introduce more in the future.
Additionally, Volvo has removed the “Recharge” badging from its plug-in hybrid models, which will now be identified by the T6 or T8 suffixes, indicating their power output levels. This change is aimed at simplifying the differentiation between fully electric and hybrid models for customers.
Björn Annwall, Volvo’s Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy CEO, stated that this alignment of model names simplifies the decision-making process for consumers as the company advances its electric and hybrid offerings.
Volvo is also introducing a new Performance software pack for the EX40 and EC40 Twin Motor variants, enhancing power output by 25kW for faster acceleration. This pack also includes unique pedal mapping and a ‘Performance’ drive mode, enabling a total power output of 325kW. This software upgrade is available for new car orders through the Volvo Cars app and as a downloadable upgrade for certain 2024 model-year vehicles.
Improvements have also been made to Volvo’s hybrid vehicles, with the B5 mild-hybrid petrol variants of the XC60 and XC90 adopting a more efficient engine combustion cycle, expected to reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy.
Furthermore, Volvo is introducing a Black Edition for the EX40, EC40, and XC40 models, featuring Onyx Black paint, high-gloss black badging, and black alloy wheels, following the success of the XC60 Black Edition.
The electric EC40 and EX40 models boast significant electric ranges and come equipped with Google built-in and innovative storage solutions. Customer deliveries of these new and updated models are anticipated to begin in late Q2 2024.
