Battery-Electric Volvo XC40 To Be Unveiled On October 16

With the unveiling of the electric XC40 on October 16, Volvo will, for the first time ever, tap into the world of zero-emission cars.

This has posed quite a few challenges for the Swedish carmaker, safety being one of the biggest. Nevertheless, in true Volvo fashion, they said that no compromises whatsoever have been made on that front.

“Regardless of what drives a car forward, be it an electric machine or combustion engine, a Volvo must be safe. The fully electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have ever built”, said the company’s chief of safety, Malin Ekholm. “The fundamentals around safety are the same for this car as for any other Volvo. People are inside, and the car needs to be designed to be safe for them.”

Also Read: Driven: 2019 Volvo XC40 Exudes Swedish Sophistication

In the event of an accident, occupants will be protected by the new safety structure developed by Volvo. The battery’s placement in the floor, surrounded by a safety cage that creates a built-in crumple zone around it, will ensure it remains intact. Furthermore, the auto brand has also integrated the electric powertrain into the body structure at the back, as it provides better distribution of collision forces away from the passenger compartment.

The electric XC40 will also feature autonomous tech thanks to a new technology called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Developed by Zenuity, a joint venture company owned by Volvo and Veoneer, ADAS is a scalable active safety system that includes several radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.

Volvo will drop more details and teaser images of the electric XC40 in the weeks to come, prior to its big unveiling scheduled for October 16.