It’s been less than three months since the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric was launched here in Malaysia, but the marque’s first fully-electric model has already been sold out for the 2022 model year.
Volvo Car Malaysia said that response for the EV crossover has been “overwhelming”, with over 400 orders received to-date, and over 120 units already delivered to their new owners. As a result, the company will be closing online order requests for the 2022 model year; order books will only resume with the introduction of the 2023 model year facelift – with information to follow soon.
“The encouraging sales numbers is a stepping-stone to our all-electric journey,” said VCM Managing Director, Charles Frump. “Just a couple of months ago we launched our first fully electric car and announced the local assembly of EV cars. We have started delivery of the cars to our customers since April, providing them with a vehicle that allows them the freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way.”
A large part of the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric’s success, we think, is down to its value. Prior to this announcement, the locally-assembled compact EV crossover retailed in Malaysia for RM262,460, thanks to the government’s EV initiatives that made the car exempt from duties and taxes.
The fully-electric XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is powered by two electric motors – one on each axle – to provide a total system output of 408 hp and 660 Nm. On a small crossover like this (despite its weight gains), that translates to a century sprint time of just 4.9 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating Volvo SUV.
Electricity is provided by a 78 kWh battery pack, giving the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric an electric range of roughly 418 km. Charging takes 7.5 hours via the on-board 11 kW AC charger, or 33 minutes (from 0-80%) using a 150 kW DC fast charger.
