Volvo has recently revealed the Concept Recharge, a preview into their electric future. Volvo will become an all-electric brand in the coming years, saying they will achieve this by 2030. The Concept Recharge is a look into what that future might look like, at least for the immediate future of Volvo EVs.
Volvo’s first electric SUV, the XC40 Recharge, is on the way to South Africa in August 2021. The design won’t be much different from the standard XC40, but this concept will give us a hint of some of the features.
Volvo’s Concept Recharge design features.
“Our Concept Recharge represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of Volvo Cars, as well as a new type of vehicle. It displays new and modern proportions that go hand-in-hand with increased versatility and shows what technology can enable in terms of design.” – Robin Page, head of design
Like most electric cars, the design is clean and smooth. This is largely thanks to the lack of a grille that opens up the whole front end for unique design. The electric platform also highly benefits from improvements in aerodynamics which feature on the Concept Recharge. We just hope the sloping roof doesn’t remove the rear seat’s headspace.
This platform has also allowed Volvo to extend the wheelbase to improve interior space by a significant amount. This will be very notable with the flat cabin floor. A feature that won’t be seen in the upcoming XC40 Recharge. Another unique feature of the Concept car is the reverse-opening rear doors.
The infotainment screen stands up from the dashboard and repaces all physical buttons, although it has space for some shortcuts that can be used on a practical production model. The system itself has been developed in co-operation with Google, so expect Andriod Auto exclusivity. Something that has never been a good feature.
“The interior integrates our latest user experience technology with beautiful, sustainable and natural materials. Each part of the interior is like a piece of art and could stand alone as individual furniture in a room. We use the latest technologies but not for their own sake. We always focus on the benefits that technologies can bring.” – Robin Page
Volvo has always been about safety and electrification changes nothing.
Volvo has equipped the Concept Recharge with a LiDAR sensor. This sensor, developed by Luminar, can be found on the roof and scans the environment around the vehicle. It will then use that data to help improve the quality of the drive in co-operation with other radars and cameras.
“With the Concept Recharge we continue the rich roots of Volvo’s design DNA in a modern and fresh way as we move into our all-electric future. It represents everything we believe customers expect from a pure electric Volvo and we’re excited to take this philosophy into our next generation of cars.” – Robin Page
Source: Volvo Cars