New SUV to slash emissions

Volvo New Zealand will soon be bringing in a shipment of a new plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) that it hopes will help it meet ambitious emissions targets.

The company is currently taking two XC40 Recharge PHEVs around dealerships nationwide for potential customers to try before the first shipment of the SUVs arrives later this year.

The hybrid is part of Volvo’s electrified future and the marque claims it will help reduce its carbon footprint per car by 40 per cent by 2025. 

Within this time frame, the Swedish carmaker also expects 50 per cent of its global sales to consist of fully electric cars, with the rest hybrids.

Ben Montgomery, Volvo NZ general manager, says he expects the domestic market to mirror international demand for the crossover SUV model.

“With Volvo’s ambitious commitment to becoming climate neutral by 2040 and putting one million EVs on the roads within the next four years, Kiwi consumers can expect to see a rapid increase in the access of premium electrified and hybrid models available here,” he explains.

“Plug-in hybrids now make up almost a third of Volvo sales in Europe. The XC40 PHEV accounts for a significant part of this global growth and early local interest suggests this model will make up a solid proportion of our New Zealand EV/hybrid sales this year.”

The XC40 Recharge PHEV, pictured, combines a 60kW/160Nm electric motor and 10.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder 132kW/265Nm engine.

Its lab-tested fuel economy is 2.2L/100km compared to the petrol-only XC40’s range between 7.7L and 8L/100km. The marque adds fuel consumption drops to zero when the electric motor, which has a 44km range, is used alone.

Pricing starts at $84,900, with customer deliveries set to commence from the second half of 2021.