Volvo's new XC40 P8 Recharge is the first fully electric car from the brand to launch in SA. Picture: PHUTI MPYANE
It isn’t built as a bespoke electric car though. Instead the twin electric motors and a 78kWh battery pack are imported into a regular XC40 body shell. These figures promise to make the P8 Recharge usable in urban areas. According to Vic Campher, dealer principal where we went for our first peek, most P8 Recharge customers are tech-savvy early adopters of sustainable living whose homes already harvest solar energy. This car is an extension of their green lives.
As Volvo isn’t in a position to implement its own network, customers should use existing infrastructure such as home wallbox chargers and public charging stations.
Bad investment.