Battery power and new driver assists work in the SUV’s favor.
Volvo has been teasing an electric version of its XC40 SUV for a while, and now it’s ready to dribble out some information. The automaker is boasting that its first EV will be “one of the safest cars on the road” due both to its inherent design and new features. The presence of a battery in the floor of the vehicle helps lower the center of gravity and prevent rollovers, but there’s also a new battery structure with a safety cage and crumple zone to protect the lithium-ion cells in the event of a collision.
Volvo has also reinforced the front and back to both adapt to the lack of a gas engine (a given, really) and to distribute collision forces away from the cabin.
There’s also some tech that’s new to any Volvo — this is its first car with an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems array of cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors. The company hasn’t gone into detail about how this will work, but it’s apparent the electric XC40 will be more aware of its surroundings.
You’ll have to wait a while if you want more tidbits. Volvo is planning to tease more details in the run-up to a public reveal on October 16th. Even at this stage, though, it’s evident that Volvo didn’t just slap a battery into the existing XC40. It’s treating this as a distinct model, even if there will be some obvious similarities.
