The new fully electric Volvo C40 Recharge has made an appearance on South African soil at the Ocean Race stopover event in Cape Town, offering locals their first opportunity to see the newcomer in the metal.
The Swedish luxury firm’s local division will sell the electric vehicle exclusively online through the My Volvo website. The order books are now open, with the C40 Recharge bearing a starting price of R1 285 000.
Displayed on Volvo Car South Africa’s dedicated stand at The Ocean Race, the strikingly styled C40 Recharge formed a central part of a special “Fika” moment for select customers and members of the media. As a reminder, the Swedish custom of Fika is a social tradition that sees participants take a deliberate break from general activity, actively slowing down, recharging and appreciating the present.
Others attending The Ocean Race stopover in Cape Town – which runs until the official start of Leg 3 on 26 February 2023 at the V&A Waterfront – will have the opportunity to view the newcomer in the metal as the C40 Recharge will be on display on Volvo’s stand for the duration of the prestigious event, alongside the XC40 Recharge. In addition, the XC60 T8 Recharge and XC90 T8 Recharge will both be displayed at Quay 6.
Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director at Volvo Car South Africa, says The Ocean Race – widely considered the most prestigious event on the global sailing calendar, the greatest round-the-world challenge and one of the toughest tests in all of sport – represents the ideal occasion to give South Africans their first glimpse of the C40 Recharge.
“The Ocean Race has long been an event at which we build relationships with our customers and demonstrate our commitment to cleaning up the oceans. That makes it the perfect occasion to showcase our new C40 Recharge, which is not only the first Volvo model in history designed as pure electric only but also the first to be completely free of leather,” said Maruszewski.
The C40 Recharge Twin boasts an electric motor on each axle, resulting in impressive peak outputs of 300 kW and 660 Nm, and allowing a rapid 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 4.7 seconds. The 78 kW lithium-ion battery pack, meanwhile, offers a single-charge range of up to 444 km on the WLTP driving cycle.
By 2025, Volvo aims for half of its global sales volume to comprise fully electric cars, with the remainder taking the form of hybrids. By 2030, the luxury firm plans for every single new vehicle it sells to be completely electric, showing its steadfast commitment to a zero-emission future.
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