Volvo Car Malaysia is among the key players gearing the country towards electro-mobility, and its roll-out of the country’s first locally-assembled all-electric vehicle, the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, as well as its fully-electric assembly plant, shows its commitment in driving the country’s passenger vehicle industry towards a sustainable driving future.
In line with its push toward electrification, the company will be present at the paultan.org Electric Vehicle Expo (EVx) 2022, which takes place this coming weekend (July 23 to 24) at the Setia City Convention Centre. As you’d expect, its display will showcase the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, which has had no shortage of interest since it was officially introduced a few months ago.
There’s plenty of allure with this one, from its performance (two electric motors delivering a total system output of 408 PS and 660 Nm, offering it a 0-100 km/h time of 4.9 seconds) to its usability (up to 418 km of travel on a full charge). Its base, shared with the XC40 Recharge T5, keeps things familiar to a degree, thereby offering a welcoming, non-intimidating step into all-electric propulsion for first-time adopters.
The model is but the start of the move into electrification for Volvo Car Malaysia, with the company stating that having a local assembly plant provides it with the capability to launch one new EV a year in the country for the next five years. This will enable it to not only cater to the demand of the local market, but also provide it with the ability to become the production and supply hub for Volvo EV models in the ASEAN region.
The brand is also the first automaker to sign on with the SteelZero initiative for expanding carbon neutrality into the materials used in manufacturing, such as steel, which accounts for 7% of all greenhouse gas emissions. The automaker’s ultimate ambition to be climate neutral by 2040, and Volvo Car Malaysia echoes that ambition by carrying the brand’s climate action into the local market with the introduction of the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.
The company isn’t just focusing its efforts on its full-electric models. The hybrid powertrain within Volvo’s fleet of PHEVs has also been improved as well, with the S60, V60, XC60, S90 and XC90 all getting a new Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain for the 2023 model year.
A larger 18.8 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery (up from 11.6 kWh) and a more powerful electric motor (with an extra 58 PS at 145 PS) help deliver significantly more electric driving range, lower carbon dioxide emissions, increased performance and enhanced drivability.
EVx is Malaysia’s first comprehensive electric vehicles showcase where you will get to learn about what’s involved in buying, owning and living with an EV, all under one roof. Aside from Volvo, participating brands at EVx include Petronas, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla (via Vision Motor Sports), EVC, Exicom, RHB Bank and others.
Beside being able to view and test drive all-electric vehicles from various brands, you can also get a better idea of the charging infrastructure and the commercial solutions available in the market at present. The event also allow you to glean valuable info about electric motoring from car manufacturers, ecosystem stakeholders and EV owners, who will all be present to educate and enlighten.
Aside from attractive deals, the event promises quite a bit for buyers. The first 70 customers to book an EV at the event will receive an exclusive EVx goodie bag with RM2,000 worth of vouchers for vehicle window film from V-Kool and air purification solutions by Blueair, including a RM1,000 voucher for a home photovoltaic (solar power) system from Alpha Solar. Buyers will also get attractive financing rates for EVs from RHB Bank.
Keen to learn more about electrification? Head on over to the Setia City Convention Centre this July 23 to 24 – EVx is open to the public, and entry is free. The paultan.org editorial team, of which one is an EV user, another with an EV on the way, and one more a former EV owner, will be present at the event to answer any EV-related questions you may have. See you there!
