Volvo is all set to slot in the next gear to achieve its electrification targets. On October 16, 2019, the general public somewhere will get to see the first-ever fully electric vehicle (EV) with a Volvo badge. Can you identify what that model is? That is the XC40. The Swedes have refrained from sharing any quantifiable details. However, they will be unfolded bit-by-bit over the remaining weeks.

As you are probably aware, safety for passengers and pedestrians is paramount for Volvo Cars. And, it is a relatively easy trick to pull off with models which have conventional structures and platforms, featuring internal combustion engines. However, transferring the basic safety principles to a car that is powered only by electricity is a tough job. And when you know this for a fact, the following claim from Volvo’s head of safety becomes all the more significant.

The fully electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have ever built.

Compared to a conventionally-powered XC40, its electric version receives a wholly redesigned and reinforced front and rear structures. Volvo says that the baby SUV will also take care of the occupants and the battery alike in the event of a collision. How? That comes courtesy of a new safety structure. A safety cage, consisting of an extruded aluminium frame, protects the battery. The enclosure finds a place in the middle of the car’s body, which gives birth to a built-in crumple zone around the battery.

The zero-emissions XC40 will also become the first Volvo to receive a new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform. It comprises of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors to do its thing. And since it is scalable, the latest safety gizmo will also become the foundation for Volvo to introduce autonomous drive technology.

That’s all the information we currently have on the electric XC40. It is a bit too soon to get excited. But considering how the company did with its plug-in hybrids, the all-electric model will be capable of market disruption. What are your expectations from it? The range? The power? The reliability?