Volvo Concept Recharge Showcases Brand’s Future

• Concept shows long wheelbase, flat floor design

• New interior possibilities include 15-inch center screen, more storage

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Volvo held a tech day today, revealing some of the automaker’s plans for its vehicles going forward. That includes a focus on charging and a new Google partnership, but the highlight was this. The Volvo Concept Recharge, which it calls a “manifesto” of Volvo’s pure EV future.

“For Volvo Cars, electrification is more than simply a shift in powertrains,” the company said. “It represents a new paradigm in car design and the Volvo Concept Recharge is a manifesto for the next generation of all-electric Volvos.”

The mantra is “less but better,” Volvo said. Starting with less engine is more interior space and the ability to offer better styling proportions and improved aerodynamics along with it.

Volvo’s current EVs were built on a platform that also had to make room for a gas-powered version. It was always a compromise to fit both. The next-generation SUV that will be the brand’s first purpose-built model will get flat floors. The lack of an engine means a longer wheelbase and taller wheels, with more space inside including more width.

Designers have been able to reposition the seats, optimise the roofline for aero, and drop the hood to improve visibility, without sacrificing the high-up driving position that SUV buyers want.

Also part of less but better is the new flat face that replaces the traditional grille. Volvo has revisited its Thor’s Hammer headlight design with a new light that opens at night to reveal the main lamps.

Inside, Volvo calls it “a truly Scandinavian living room feeling.” Sustainable and natural materials with parts that the company says could stand alone as furniture. There is also a 15-inch standing touchscreen for the next-gen infotainment.

Last, and perfectly on-brand for Volvo, is a new safety suite based around a LiDAR sensor built by Luminar. It’s intended to collect more data on the world around the car and do even more to improve safety and reduce crashes and injuries.

How much the real SUV will look like this? We’re not sure. We’re hoping for a great deal, though, because Volvo already offers some great styling and this one looks even better.