Update: ‘Specifications’ and ‘Release Date’ sections added.
In March 2021, Volvo Cars announced that it plans to have a line-up of seven electric cars by 2025, in line with its effort to phase out combustion engines from its product range by the end of this decade. The announcement came on the back of the unveiling of the first electric-only Volvo car, the C40. One of the seven EVs will be a Volvo XC60 successor.
Pure electric Volvo XC60 successor confirmation
On June 21, 2021, Volvo Cars’ parent company Volvo Car Group slipped in the confirmation of a Volvo XC60 electric successor in a press announcement. The company said it wants to set up a joint venture with Northvolt, Sweden’s leading battery company, to develop and produce batteries for the next-gen Volvo and Polestar EVs. Further in the announcement, the company said that the first model to feature battery cells this joint venture company develops would be the electric successor to the Volvo XC60. Volvo Car Group plans to have up to 50 GWh of annual production capacity in Europe with its joint venture in Europe by 2026.
The first car to feature battery cells developed through the joint venture will be the electric successor to Volvo Cars’ best-selling XC60 model.
Volvo Cars’s partnership announcement with Northvolt (via media.volvocars.com) on June 21, 2021
The XC60 electric successor and XC90 electric successor will be instrumental in Volvo’s plan of having EVs account for half the total sales. Image: Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Group has indicated in the announcement that the pure electric counterpart of the XC60 will debut with a different name and not “Volvo XC60 Electric.” The company is adopting a new nomenclature with its upcoming Tesla Model X rival (previewed by the Volvo Recharge Concept), preferring not to call it an XC90 EV.
We plan to source 15 GWh of annual capacity with the Northvolt 1 plant in Skelleftea, Sweden. This will start in 2024 in order to meet our capacity ramp-up of electric vehicles. The third step is to build a new gigafactory of up to 50 GWh of annual capacity. Combined, this will secure supply for the next generation of fully electric Volvos built in Europe.
Erik Severinson, Leader in Industrial Strategy, Volvo Cars (Volvo Cars Tech Moment)
SPA2 platform
The electric alternative of the XC60 will ride on the new SPA2 (Scalable Platform Architecture) currently under development. The notable advantage of the SPA2 versus the SPA1 is that Volvo will make a different floor assembly: the Volvo XC60 electric successor and XC90 electric successor, for instance, will have a skateboard-like flat floor, with provisions to mount flat batteries and electric motors for the front and rear.
Meanwhile the current XC60 is expected to live on until the second half of the decade with periodic updates, in partially electrified variants. Volvo won’t stop producing the XC60 hybrid as demand for the Recharge variant is increasing every year, and the phasing out of the combustion variant would be gradual.
Specifications
More efficient battery cells
The Volvo XC60 electric successor and XC90’s electric alternatives will be part of Volvo Cars’ second-gen EVs. Compared to the XC40 Recharge or C40 Recharge, they will have improved lithium-ion battery technology. The company aims for a 50% higher energy density for the battery cells it plans to co-develop with Northvolt. By mid-decade, Volvo Cars plans to introduce third-gen electric cars and cut the charging times by almost half. The third-gen EVs may offer up to 1,000 km or 621 miles of driving range.
The SPA2 will ensure distinct floor designs for the XC60 electric successor and next-gen XC60. Image of the XC40 Recharge’s chassis used as illustration. Image: Volvo Cars
Up to 400 kW system power
Henrik Green, Chief Technology Officer, Volvo Cars, has suggested that the XC60 electric successor could come with dual-motor powertrains that generate up to 400 kW (536 hp) of system power. Speaking to Recharge (mestmotor.se) in December 2021, Green said that the next-gen Volvo EVs coming from this year (2022) “will receive 400 kW (536 hp).”
200 kW+ charging power
Lutz Stiegler, Leader in Batteries & Propulsion, Volvo Cars, confirmed at the Volvo Cars Tech Moment in June that second-gen Volvo EVs will have more than 200 kW charging power. The reduced internal resistance of the battery cells, improved thermal management, and an adapted design of the entire high-voltage system will allow the company to increase the charging power to this level, Stiegler said. He also revealed that the next-gen models will support bi-directional charging, allowing customers to use the car as storage for their solar systems. Moreover, customers in markets with time-variable energy prices would be able to reduce their energy bills with bi-directional charging.
Volvo Cars plans to significantly increase the size of its battery packs in its future vehicles. So, its second-gen EVs may come with 100 kWh or even larger battery pack options. Image Source: Volvo Cars
Exterior
The Volvo XC60 electric successor could feature a new type of design inspired by the much bigger Volvo Recharge Concept and its production version, which will debut later this year. For enhanced aerodynamics, it could be lower and more estate-like compared to the SUV-looking XC60.
Interior
The Volvo XC60’s electric equivalent will pack a completely new infotainment platform based on Android. At the Volvo Cars Tech Moment event, Sanela Ibrovic, Head of Connected Experience, Volvo Cars, shared the following highlights of the new infotainment platform:
- A large center touchscreen
- High-resolution driver information system
- Optional head-up display
- Simple user interface
- Easy to see information
- Responsive interaction
Google’s apps and services will be even more deeply integrated into the next-gen Volvo EV models. Image Source: Volvo Cars
Every next-gen Volvo EV will run on the company’s own operating system called Volvo Cars.OS, an umbrella of various operating systems across the car and the cloud. The Android Automotive OS powering the infotainment system will be a part of Volvo Cars.OS. Customers will be able to use connected car functions available in every Volvo model using the same mobile app. It will be possible to connect the EV to other ecosystems, like connected home devices, for instance.
Customers will be able to control their car easily using their voice from the convenience of their homes by issuing commands. From inside their homes, customers will be able to control charging, in-car climate, and much more. But we also want our customers to be able to control home functions from the car, such as turning on the front door light and opening the garage door.
Sanela Ibrovic, Head of Connected Experience, Volvo Cars (Volvo Cars Tech Moment)
Technologies available in next-gen Volvo EVs will include spatial audio, haptic seat belts, and a driver monitoring camera as well. Most configurations of the next-gen Volvo EVs will likely be hardware-ready for many high-end features, like Luminar LiDAR-enabled autonomous driving, for example. Customers would be able to enable and use features they didn’t pay for at the time of purchase or lease later by paying later.
We can deploy software over the air to the entire car. Meaning, we can activate and push brand-new functions, for example is, within autonomous driving. We can also improve and enhance existing functions in our cars, and it also allows us to activate paid-for features connected to the mobile app.
Anne-Mette Nygaard, Digital Consumer Products, Volvo Cars
Release Date
According to a report from Autocar, the Volvo XC60 electric successor will arrive in 2025. Volvo Cars will offer this model online only. The list of competitors will include Tesla Model Y, Mercedes EQC, Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX3, and Lexus RZ.
By 2025, Volvo Cars targets half of its sales to come from pure electric vehicles. By 2030, the company sees itself dealing exclusively in fully electric vehicles. If that actually happens, the Swedish automaker would be one of the first legacy companies to switch entirely to pure electric vehicles.
Volvo XC60 electric successor FAQs
What is the Volvo XC60 electric successor release date?
The Volvo XC60 electric successor will reportedly arrive in 2024, positioned above the XC40 Recharge.
Which models do you consider Volvo XC60 electric successor rivals?
The Volvo XC60 electric successor will challenge the Mercedes EQC, BMW iX3 & Audi Q4 e-tron.
Do you have an idea of the Volvo XC60 electric successor price?
The Volvo XC60 electric successor is expected to come at between EUR 60,000-70,000.
Featured Image Source: Volvo Cars
Keyword: Volvo XC60 Electric successor to release in 2024 – Report