THE Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric – Volvo’s first all-electric car – is now available for UK customers to order.

The first of five fully electric cars to be launched by the Swedish company over the next five years, the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric P8 is capable of travelling more than 249 miles on a single charge, and can be charged to 80 per cent of its battery capacity in as little as 40 minutes using a fast charger.

Being an electric car, it will deliver significant savings to owners in running costs, as well as tax benefits.

Inside, the car benefits from the company’s brand-new infotainment system powered by Google Android, as well as taking the XC40’s already renowned use of interior space even further.

Volvo’s first entrant into the compact premium SUV segment when it was launched in 2018, the XC40 has seen unprecedented success, winning a host of prestigious awards – including European Car of the Year in 2018 – and quickly becoming the firm’s best-selling model in the UK.

The Recharge Pure Electric variant comes at the perfect time, with almost three quarters of consumers considering an all-electric car for their next purchase.

As part of a long-term ambition to be climate-neutral by 2040, the company aims to reduce tailpipe emissions by 50 per cent per car, and for half of all new vehicles it sells globally to be pure electric by 2025.

The all-electric XC40 also expands Volvo’s already comprehensive range of plug-in vehicles, now sold under the Recharge brand, with customers already able to purchase a plug-in hybrid version of every model in the Volvo range.

While the recently launched plug-in hybrid XC40 is ideal for those making the transition to electric driving – its 28-mile electric range is backed up by a petrol engine for greater distances – the Pure Electric is the perfect car for those ready to commit to all-electric motoring.

The average distance driven each day by UK motorists is 30 miles, so its 249-plus-mile range more than covers most people’s daily requirements – especially if home or workplace charging is installed meaning a full charge at the start of each journey.

The XC40 P8’s long range does not come at the expense of performance either, with its twin electric motors producing 408hp to deliver a 0-62mph time of only 4.9 seconds.

In spite of the challenges presented by the lack of an internal combustion engine, the electric XC40 is one of the safest cars on the market. Volvo Cars’ safety engineers have totally redeveloped the frontal crash structure, while introducing a new and unique safety structure for the passengers and battery – helping to keep occupants as safe as they are in any other Volvo.

Initially offered in R-Design specification, the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is available to order from £53,155, with UK deliveries expected to start in early 2021.