CHARGING AHEAD

VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE

Price: from £53,155

With the XC40 plug-in hybrid already in showrooms, Volvo will go a step further early next year with its Recharge Pure Electric model. As the name suggests, there’s only battery power under your right foot, but it boasts a decent 400km-plus range on a full charge.

This is Volvo’s first all-electric car, and the Swedish firm’s first step towards its aim of half of all of its global sales to be purely electric by 2025. The XC40’s sustainability goes further than skin deep too, with the door linings and carpet made from 97 per cent recycled plastic bottles. The lack of a traditional engine makes room for a small extra 30-litre boot under the bonnet.

The hefty £53,155 price tag might make you wince a little, but with so many XC40s likely to be bought as company cars or on finance, its ultimate success will