L J Ravi May 06, 2020 ID: 268323
Drivers of fully electric Volvo Recharge models in Europe will soon have easy access to over 200,000 charging points, as the company has selected charging firm Plugsurfing as its partner of choice, enabling seamless long-distance travel across the continent.
With the Plugsurfing agreement, Volvo Cars eliminates the most common obstacles for electric car drivers, such as inadequate access to charging points and a highly fragmented European market for charging infrastructure.
The agreement with Plugsurfing, one of the largest and rapidly growing charging network aggregators in Europe, allows drivers to easily charge their electric Volvo, regardless of where they are on the continent, and does away with the need for countless national subscriptions.
A Plugsurfing account, which will be included on every fully electric Volvo Recharge model in Europe, gives access to numerous local charging networks around Europe, allowing for seamless cross-border travel in their electric car. The Plugsurfing platform also provides possibilities for other new and exciting charging-related services that may be added at a later stage.
Customers will be able to charge their car with a contactless charge card or smartphone app at any of Plugsurfing’s 200,000+ supported charging points in 38 European countries. All charging events and payments are processed monthly, while Plugsurfing does not lock customers into a subscription to use the service.
“Your Plugsurfing service will cover all your charging and driving needs: the daily commute, on-location charging and long distance travel,” said Björn Annwall, head of EMEA at Volvo Cars. “This freedom of mind makes driving an electric Volvo even more enjoyable and hasslefree.”
Via the Plugsurfing app or the Android-based infotainment system, electric Volvo customers can filter charging points by location, real-time availability and charging speed. The app also shows the price information for each charging point, making the process easy and transparent.
Like Volvo Cars, Plugsurfing has a strong focus on sustainability as it continues to grow its network of suppliers, and the company prioritises suppliers that operate with renewable energy sourcing.
“Together with Volvo Cars, Plugsurfing has a strong vision for sustainability and making car charging easy,” said Anne Jalkala, CEO of Plugsurfing. “By working together with Volvo Cars to drive electrification of mobility and connect drivers to energy, we aim to make zero emission mobility a reality for future generations of drivers.”
Volvo Cars will start rolling out the Plugsurfing service with the fully electric XC40 Recharge P8 when deliveries start later this year.
The XC40 Recharge P8 is the first of a family of fully electric Volvos and the company’s first fully electric car. The all-wheel drive XC40 Recharge P8 offers a range of over 400 km (WLTP) on a single charge and output of 408hp. The battery charges to 80 per cent of its capacity in 40 minutes on a DC fast-charging infrastructure.
In coming years, Volvo Cars will continue to roll out additional fully electric models. By 2025, it aims for its global sales volume to consist of 50 per cent fully electric cars, with the rest hybrids.
Volvo Car Group in 2019
For the 2019 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 14.3 BSEK (14.2 BSEK in 2018). Revenue over the period amounted to 274.1 BSEK (252.7 BSEK). For the full year 2019, global sales reached a record 705,452 (642,253) cars, an increase of 9.8 per cent versus 2018. The results underline the comprehensive transformation of Volvo Cars’ finances and operations in recent years, positioning the company for its next growth phase.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo Cars was founded in 1927. Today, it is one of the most well-known and respected premium car brands in the world with sales of 705,452 cars in 2019 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding since 2010.
In 2019, Volvo Cars employed on average approximately 41,500 (41,500) full-time employees. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for APAC is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
Under its new company purpose, Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This purpose is reflected into a number of business ambitions: for example, by the middle of this decade it aims for half of its global sales to be fully electric cars and to establish five million direct consumer relationships. Volvo Cars is also committed to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
