2004 Volvo C70 Lt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge priced at $54,985

The final piece of the puzzle for the 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge is falling into place today, two weeks after official EPA range information became available. Volvo just announced pricing, and it’s going to start at $54,985, including the $995 destination charge. Of course, buyers can also expect to take advantage of the $7,500 federal tax credit (and other state credits) with their XC40 Recharge purchase. That makes the total dent in the wallet $47,485 for a base crossover, or even cheaper depending on what state you live in. There isnÂ’t a long list of available packages and options, but Volvo detailed a few of them for us. The most expensive is the Advanced Package that adds VolvoÂ’s Pilot Assist driver assistance system, a 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, a 12-volt outlet in the luggage area and a headlight cleaning system for $1,300. The Climate Package adds a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and heated wiper blades for $750. And the last important option weÂ’ll point out is a heat pump for $350. Volvo says the heat pump can precondition the cabinÂ’s temperature and extend battery range, so it feels like a no-brainer for such a cheap price. Compared to the XC40 RechargeÂ’s direct competition, the crossover is priced in the same ballpark. A Tesla Model Y Long Range is $49,990. The base Ford Mustang Mach-E with all-wheel drive starts at $46,695. Neither the Ford nor the Tesla are perfect comparisons, though. The XC40 is both smaller and more premium than both of those options. WeÂ’ll note that itÂ’s not a huge stretch to go from the XC40 Recharge to the Polestar 2 that begins at $61,200, a $6,215 climb above the base XC40 Recharge. 2020 Volvo XC40 Recharge View 23 Photos Charging network Volvo also announced that itÂ’s beginning a collaboration with ChargePoint as the official charging network for the XC40 Recharge. That will give owners approximately 115,000 places to charge their electric crossover, though Volvo is light on the details for now. We asked, and Volvo said that an announcement about charging software integration is coming soon. DonÂ’t expect free charging to be part of the deal though, as Volvo tells us thatÂ’s not part of the companyÂ’s “immediate plans.” The partnership will allow owners to purchase a ChargePoint Home Flex charger for their home at the time of their XC40 purchase, but we donÂ’t have pricing on this option yet. You can place an order for the electric crossover on VolvoÂ’s website now.

When Android Automotive goes in the dash, Google wins — and automakers lose data

You've gotta hand it to Google for the way the Silicon Valley tech giant has made indelible inroads into the car on multiple fronts. The most obvious is with its pioneering self-driving car technology that's caused car companies to get their act together on autonomous vehicles — and also collaborate with Google. Google has more directly extended its influence and data-mining capabilities into the car with its Android Auto smartphone-projection platform that most major automakers have adopted along with Apple's CarPlay. And now it's preparing to dig even deeper into dashboards by deploying its open-source operating system, Android Automotive, beginning with Audi and Volvo. Volvo recently announced that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system will run Android Automotive as an OS and include Google's Play Store for cloud-based content, Maps for navigation and Google Assistant for voice recognition, which can even command a car's climate control. By embedding Google in the dash, Volvo says owners will get an improved connected experience. "Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services," Volvo senior vice president of R&D Henrik Green said in a statement. "Soon, Volvo drivers will have direct access to thousands of in-car apps that make daily life easier and the connected in-car experience more enjoyable." Having Android Automotive onboard could benefit drivers — and provide a big win for Google, since it opens a deep and lucrative new data-mining vein for the company. But it's a wave of a white flag for car companies when it comes to delivering their own cloud-based content and services. It also represents a massive data giveaway and, for Audi, a reversal of earlier reservations about letting Google get too much access to car data. Not long after Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were introduced in 2014 and most automakers eagerly embraced the technologies, several German automakers second-guessed their decision when they realized what was at stake: data. At a conference in Berlin in 2015, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said car owners "want to be in control of their data, and not subject to monitoring." A few months earlier, Stadler stated that "the data that we collect is our data and not Google's.

Volvo EX90 EV is heavy on sustainability with new Nordico cabin material

After hints from former Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelson and a trademark application for the term "Embla," we'd suspected the electric successor to the XC90 would be called the Embla. New Volvo CEO Jim Rowan explained that after taking brand familiarity into account, the people who decide the names of things decided "EX90 marks a new iteration on our current nomenclature and is reflective of our transition toward a full-electric lineup by 2030." Another symbol of the transition to all EV all the time is Volvo interior designers believing they have created "one of the most pleasant and elegant car interiors on the market" by "reinterpreting luxury and well-being [through the] essential qualities of Scandinavian design: simplicity, well-being and natural sources." Senior Design Manager Cecilia Stark tells us the nut and bolt of this is Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, and wool shorn off sustainably raised sheep. Backlit wood trim lines the EX90's cabin, reminiscent of a Scandinavian living room. The wool is a secondary fabric option, buyers first invited to enjoy Volvo's new Nordico synthetic fabric made from ingredients like recycled PET bottles and responsibly sourced pine resin from managed forests in Sweden and Finland. Counting Nordico and other synthetic textiles in places like the carpeting, Volvo says there are "almost 50 kilograms of recycled plastics and bio-based materials" in an EX90 cabin, surpassing the amount for every other vehicle in the automaker's range.  There will be a standard luxury aspect to configuring the flagship crossover, though. Mostly discussed as a feature among super luxury makers who offer so many options that buyers can be overwhelmed into analysis paralysis, Volvo designers have created themed "rooms" encompassing EX90 exterior colors, upholstery, and decor. We don't know how many rooms will be offered, and we're not used to seeing exterior hues included in themed packages, so this should be interesting.     Volvo will show the EX90 on November 9. The crossover is slated to go into production at the automaker's South Carolina plant before the year is out. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.