Many top auto brands have chosen to take the route of import of EVs as CBUs (Complete Built-Up Units) for their Indian operations. Kia EV6 is a good example of that. Tesla wanted to arrive in India through this route. But its plea for tax sops from the government went unheeded. Ergo, Tesla is staying away from the Indian shores.
At present, cars imported as CBUs attract customs duty ranging from 60-100%, depending on engine size and Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value less or above $40,000. In the event, it increases the price of the EVs.
In the long run, it makes sense to assemble the EVs here in Indian itself as it will work out cheaper. And that is the route that the Swedish carmaker Volvo is taking.
Volvo is locally assembling the upcoming XC40 Recharge EV at its facility in Hoskote (near Bengaluru, Karnataka). The deliveries of the Volvo XC40 Recharge is slated to happen in October 2022. Volvo had earlier announced that it'll launch a series of electric cars, and XC40 Recharge happens to be the first one in its class.
Volvo XC40 Recharge, which will be India's first locally assembled luxury EV, is to be formally launched here on July 26. Volvo had earlier said that it was committed to grow the Indian market and its plans to assemble its latest offering the XC40 Recharge at its plant in Bengaluru is a reflection of this resolve.
Volvo XC40 Recharge: price and features
Volvo XC40 Recharge was originally scheduled to be unveiled in India last year itself, but the chip shortage and supply chain issues put paid to those plans. The company, in the event, had to push the launch to this year.
Volvo is still to formally announce the pricing of XC Recharge (which is the electric version of its XC40 SUV). But reports have it that it would be priced around Rs 60-65 lakh. If indeed is the case, it will compete against the likes of BMW i4 (Rs 69.90 lakh, ex-showroom) and the Kia EV6 (Rs 59.95 lakh-64.5 lakh, ex-showroom).
The booking for XC40 Recharge will begin from next month, and the vehicles will be delivered from October.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge will be available in two versions: one runs on a 300-kW all-wheel-drive system with a 78-kWh battery (75 kWh net) while the front-wheel-drive model features a 170-kW powertrain output and a 70-kWh battery (67 kWh net).
The Volvo XC40 Recharge sports a 78kWh battery pack that allows the electric SUV to travel for a claimed 418 kilometres on a single charge. Volvo claims that the XC40 Recharge SUV can recharge its battery pack from 10 to 80% in 40 minutes when connected to a 150kW DC fast charger. It is powered by two electric motors that deliver a combined output of 408 bhp and a whopping 660 Nm of torque.
Volvo XC40 Recharge will come with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, cross traffic alert, 360-degree camera, auto parking, lane-keeping aid and more. It will feature a 9-inch vertical infotainment system based on Google OS with in-built Google Maps and Google Assist. It has a massive 12.3-inch all-digital instrument cluster and a powerful Harmon Kardon music system.
