Volvo confirms that the XC40 EV model has exceeded all expectations even though the automaker did not share any concrete figures of reservations. A model with a propulsion system and batteries rather than solvent, with 400 HP of power and 78 kWh, enough to achieve 400 km of WLTP autonomy.
The electric XC40 will try to take advantage of the excellent reception that it has had with the version with the combustion engine, and also the outstanding moment of the sales of compact SUVs.
Last Thursday, Volvo opened a battery factory that will be responsible for manufacturing packs and will begin its work in the testing phase today. Located in the Belgian town of Ghent, this new facility has meant an investment of 150 million euros and will occupy a space of 5,000 square meters right next to the plant where the vehicle will leave. A line that is intended to accelerate the production of batteries and ensure supply as quickly as possible.
An installation that will work at the same pace as the car factory, which will mean having three shifts working 24 hours a day. Something they hope will allow them to keep up with the demand for a model that seems to become a super sales.
Volvo manufactures 1,000 vehicles a day at the Ghent plant, where the XC40 is assembled on the same line as the V60. An installation that last year has achieved a production of 225,000 units, of which the XC40 represented 185,000 units.
A factory with experience in the production of electrified systems, and where at present one of every nine vehicles produced is a plug-in hybrid. It will also begin this May to deliver the Mild Hybrid of the XC40 and V60, being next fall the date indicated for the start of production of the 100% electric model.
At the same time, Volvo is already working on a new battery installation that will be located in the United States, which will begin its work at the end of the year. This will allow the Swedish manufacturer to diversify the assembly of packs and thereby accelerate production in each market.