Swedish automaker Volvo has announced that it will launch its first fully battery-powered car in India – the XC40 recharge SUV – early next year instead of this year due to a global shortage of semiconductor chips. The company has also postponed the booking of this electric SUV. The carmaker had showcased the XC40 Recharge SUV in the country in March this year and the launch was scheduled to begin from October this year with the first batch of deliveries. However, the company has had to reschedule production and launches due to a global shortage of semiconductors.

Managing Director Jyoti Malhotra said, “Volvo Car India has decided to defer the bookings to early next year.” Malhotra said that the company will continue to offer its existing line-up of vehicles to the customers here. Volvo currently offers petrol variants of the XC40 and S60 vehicles in the country and is set to introduce petrol variants of the S90 sedan and XC60 mid-size luxury SUV later this year. “We are also committed to discontinuing diesel cars by the end of this year,” he added.

For information, let us tell you that Volvo also aims to become a fully electric car company by the end of the decade. The company had also confirmed its plans to launch the C40 recharge electric car in the Indian market. The Volvo XC40 Recharge is claimed to deliver a driving range of over 400 kms on a single charge and will come with a proven range of around 335 kms, with a massive 78 kWh battery pack. The electric SUV claims to accelerate to 100 kmph in just 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 180 kmph.