Volvo XC40 pure electric: 420km range sells for 357,000 yuan. How long can this price last?

What do you think of when you think of Volvo?

It may be Nordic luxury, or it may be safety. Of course, price reduction will also come to mind.

Volvo is a brand with very obvious advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are luxury and safety, but the disadvantage is that the price is not stable. For Volvo, a price reduction of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan is a small deal, 70,000 to 80,000 yuan is quite normal, and more than 100,000 yuan is not unusual. For this reason, there are some jokes on the Internet such as "Don't buy Volvo as soon as it comes on the market. Buy it after a while when the price comes down."

At the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show, Volvo's first pure electric model X40 Recharge was officially launched, and the new car announced an official guide price of 357,000 yuan. Since Volvo cannot stabilize prices in fuel vehicles, can it stabilize prices in the field of pure electric vehicles? We might as well take a look at the overall strength of the Volvo XC40 pure electric vehicle?

The Volvo XC40 pure electric continues the shape of the XC40 fuel version as a whole. The biggest difference from the fuel vehicle is the shape of the front face. The front grille adopts a new design, which looks closed. In fact, the bottom There is a gap left, and the headlights continue to use Volvo's iconic "Thor's Hammer" design, and the shape is still sharp.

The side of the car body adopts a two-color body painting. The black top design lowers the visual center of gravity and creates a certain crossover style. The word "RECHARGE" is written on the black trim strip of the C-pillar to highlight the new energy identity. In terms of body size, its length, width and height are 4425/1863/1651mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2702mm. Judging from the body size, it can also be seen that the Volvo XC40 pure electric is a product that is converted from oil to electricity.

No surprise. Like most joint venture brands or luxury brands, Volvo XC40’s pure electric cruising range is not outstanding.

The Volvo XC40 pure electric is equipped with a ternary lithium battery supplied by CATL. The battery capacity is 71kWh and the pure electric range is 420km. It is far behind the 500 or 600km range of most brands. Obviously, from Volvo's perspective, the XC40 pure electric vehicle is a vehicle used for urban transportation, but it can also meet the needs of vehicles around the city.

In terms of charging speed, if you use the highest 150kW DC fast charging, it will take 40 minutes to charge from 0 to 80%. The fast charging speed is slightly conservative; if it is a household 11kW AC slow charging pile, the power will go from 0 to 80%. -80% takes 8 hours.

In terms of power performance, the Volvo XC40 pure electric vehicle is equipped with a front and rear dual-motor system with a combined power of 408 horsepower and a peak torque of 660 N·m. Its acceleration time from 100 kilometers to 100 kilometers is only 4.9 seconds.

Safety is another highlight of the Volvo XC40 pure electric vehicle.

In terms of electrical safety, the Volvo XC40 pure electric is not outstanding in terms of battery life or battery energy density. For example, the BMW iX3 uses an 8-series ternary battery, and the battery system energy density is 154Wh/kg. The Volkswagen ID.4 series is also an 8-series ternary battery with a density of 175Wh/kg, while Volvo only has 150Wh/kg.

In addition, the structural design of the Volvo XC40 pure electric battery pack also leaves a large amount of collision energy-absorbing buffer area. Moreover, BMS can monitor the voltage, temperature and other operating data of each cell in real time to ensure the consistency of each cell.

In terms of body structure and materials, I don’t think there is too much to worry about. This is a vehicle that has been converted from oil to electricity, and the body structure will not be significantly adjusted. Coupled with the assistance of intelligent security configuration, there is no need to worry too much about security.

Frankly speaking, the Volvo XC40 pure electric is a car with relatively balanced performance in all aspects. It does not have many bright spots, but it is difficult to see its biggest shortcoming. If you have to question it, it might be the price. The Lexus UX300e, also an imported model, sells for 362,000-385,000 yuan and has a range of 400km.

Volvo and Lexus are the two extremes of the market. The former reduces prices to increase sales, while the latter increases prices without worrying about selling. And such a comparison can remind you of the price of Volvo XC40 after it is fully electric. Prices will definitely be reduced. , it may not be impossible for it to fall below 300,000 in the middle of next year.

It is true that the Volvo XC40 pure electric is Volvo's test in the electric vehicle market. It has a certain degree of sincerity but not a high degree of sincerity. After all, it is a product that is converted from oil to electricity.

Starting from the next generation of products, Volvo will use a dedicated platform for new energy vehicles. Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelssn once said in an interview: Volvo will start to use Geely's SEA vast architecture in the future.

Perhaps only by using a truly exclusive platform for new energy vehicles can Volvo have a big advantage in the new energy field. The XC40 pure electric car in front of us, if you want to buy it, you may as well wait, there will be a surprise price after the year.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.