Volvo is all ready for the electric age, and it is renaming its lineup to reflect the fact.
From here onwards, the all-electric variants of the Volvo XC40 as well as the Volvo C40 will be renamed to the EX40 and EC40 respectively, fitting them right in with Volvo's other all-electric models which include the EX30, EX90 and the EM90. Volvo states that the XC40 name will be retained for combustion-powered versions of the crossover.
Also set for a name change are the firm's plug-in hybrid models, which will now lose their 'Recharge' branding and instead be simply denoted by the T6 or T8 suffix, representing their different power output levels.
New for 'Twin Motor' variants of the EX40 and XC40, meanwhile, is a Performance software pack, which will give both cars an additional 33bhp which can be unlocked via a unique 'Performance' drive mode, alongside a unique pedal mapping for quicker accelerator response. This Performance software pack will be offered as an optional upgrade pack via the Volvo Cars app when ordering a new car, while drivers of previous model year 2024 C40 and fully electric XC40 Recharge cars already can purchase and download the software in selected markets.
Volvo states that it has also upgraded the B5 mild hybrid variants of its XC60 and XC90 so they deliver fuel economy improvements of up to around 4% for the XC60 and around 2% for the XC90 based on the WLTP cycle.
Finally, customers will soon be able to get special Black Edition examples of the EX40, EC40, and XC40, following the success of our XC60 Black Edition. These Black Edition cars come with Onyx Black paint, high gloss black badging, 20-inch five-spoke alloys in high gloss black and either a microtech or a charcoal textile interior.
Volvo states that all-electric cars represented 16% of it global sales volume in 2023. Its EX30, EX90 and EM90 all-electric models, meanwhile, are expected to arrive in markets across the world by 2024.
