Volvo XC40 Recharge India launch pushed to early 2022 because of global semiconductor shortage- Technology News, Firstpost

tech2 News StaffAug 06, 2021 19:14:14 IST

Volvo Car India has joined the list of carmakers who are now feeling the pinch of the global semiconductor shortage. Owing to the scarcity of semiconductors, the India launch of the Volvo XC40 has now been pushed to early 2022. Showcased in India a few months ago, the all-electric XC40 was to go on sale here by October (with bookings earlier set to begin in June), but that plan has been scuppered owing to a worldwide shortage of semiconductors.

“The global shortage of semiconductors has resulted in Volvo having to reschedule the production of XC40 Recharge. Subsequently, Volvo Car India has also decided to defer the bookings and launch of the XC40 Recharge to early next year. The company believes in giving a committed delivery date to customers once they book”, said Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director at Volvo Car India.

In the interim, Volvo Car India will launch the mildly updated S90 sedan and XC60 SUV later this year, both of which will swap out their 2.0-litre diesel engine for a 2.0-litre petrol unit. With the Volvo XC90 diesel also set to be phased out, Volvo Car India will have only petrol, hybrid and battery electric vehicles in its portfolio from 2022 onwards.

For the uninitiated, the XC40 Recharge is a pure-electric derivative of the standard Volvo XC40, which has been on sale in India now for a few years. The Recharge – unveiled in 2019 – has a 78 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is the source of energy for the SUV’s two electric motors that send power to all four wheels.

Combined output stands at 408 hp and 660 Nm of torque, which gives the XC40 Recharge a claimed 0-100 kph time of 4.9 seconds, but like all other Volvos now, the XC40 Recharge is also electronically limited to a top speed of 180 kph. On the WLTP cycle, the Volvo XC40 Recharge has a range of 418 km on a full charge.

Volvo has previously hinted at considering local assembly for the XC40 Recharge, but at this point, it appears that the Swedish carmaker has decided to begin sales of the Recharge by shipping it in as a full import, at least to start with. While it certainly will be significantly pricier than the combustion-engine model, the Volvo XC40 Recharge’s expected price tag of Rs 50-55 lakh (ex-showroom) will still make it the most affordable EV from a luxury carmaker in India.

The updated Volvo XC60 will be launched in India with a petrol engine in the coming months. Image: Volvo

With the XC40 Recharge, Volvo is setting into action its plan to transition into an EV-only brand by 2030. The company foresees electrified vehicles making up 80 percent of its sales volume in India by 2025, and has previously stated it will phase out all combustion-engined models – including hybrids – from its portfolio by the end of this decade. To that end, Volvo also aims to launch the C40 Recharge coupe-SUV in the Indian market in the coming years.

Also read: Volvo reveals future EV plans