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Volvo Concept Recharge 2022.

Volvo Concept Recharge 2022 heralds a new generation of electric vehicles.

Volvo’s strategy is to move completely to electric vehicles by 2030. Moreover, already in 2025, the share of battery cars in the total production volume should reach 50%.

Work on new internal combustion engines has already been phased out (only the current modernization will continue), but a whole family of battery-powered vehicles is on the way.

The first in 2022 will be the third-generation Volvo XC90 large crossover. And the forerunner of this wave was the electric car Volvo Concept Recharge.

However, so far it exists only in the form of computer images, so there are no dimensions or technical characteristics yet.

The only goal is to achieve a mileage of 1000 km on a single charge (in the long term). But there is a new corporate identity created by our own design team, headed by Robin Page.

The main features are a stretched wheelbase (to accommodate a large battery under the floor of the passenger compartment), a low hood and a blank panel instead of a radiator grill.

However, the main brand features have been preserved. These are the headlights in the shape of «Thor’s hammers» and the long vertical sections of the taillights.

A lidar is installed above the windshield, which will become an integral part of the serial Volvo autopilot (it will appear already on the new XC90).

The lidar itself will be supplied by Luminar, the processor for the autopilot by Nvidia, and the Volvo control program is being prepared by the subsidiary Zenseact, formed in 2020.

The interior of an electric car has a flat floor, so theoretically the layout and arrangement of seats, consoles and armrests can be any.

And the central place on the front panel is occupied by a 15-inch monitor of the media system with the Android Automotive OS operating system (such a shell has already appeared on the latest production models).

The model also features hidden door handles and rear suicide doors. Other notable features include a panoramic glass roof, slim struts, and a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor.

There are vertical taillights at the rear. They have been «reimagined with a set of fenders that expand at higher cruising speeds to further improve overall aerodynamics.» The concept boasts a minimalist bumper, a concave tailgate and a small spoiler.

The ‘smaller but better’ theme continues in the cabin as drivers will find a minimalist instrument cluster with a 15-inch infotainment system. There is a free-standing digital instrument cluster mounted on the steering column.

There are four separate seats separated by floating center consoles. The concept also uses environmentally friendly materials, there is a storage compartment in the form of a bag.

The concept is built on a new platform designed specifically for electric vehicles. This allows for a completely flat floor, unlike the company’s first generation electric vehicles.

They share the floor with ICE-powered models. Designers are required to balance proportions and space to accommodate both the battery pack and the combustion engine.

It has already been announced that the Swedish company Northvolt will be the supplier of traction batteries for upcoming Volvo models from 2024.

And in 2026, the partners intend to open a joint battery plant in Europe. It remains only to wait for the electric vehicles themselves.