Volvo Cars has set the goal that half of all cars sold by 2025 should be fully electric. Thus, the battery-powered XC40 has some responsibility on its shoulders when it launches in Los Angeles.

Volvo sells many hybrids, but the XC40 will be the first in the market for fully electric cars. Quite a few competitors are already there. More than 12,000 electric cars have been sold in Sweden so far this year (hybrids counted). Tesla tops the statistics, ahead of Renault, Kia and Nissan, figures from Bil Sweden show.

- The "Greta debate" is fueling our transition. You need to have these products ready. It is important, says Martin Sköld.

Doing "for real"

The Swedish, but China-owned, car company has also put pressure on itself with an ambitious goal.

- They have to do these things for real, not just talk about it, says Mikael Wickelgren, doctor and car scientist at the University of Skövde

Many people are curious about what el-Volvon can do in terms of reach. How far can a fully charged car be driven before having to recharge?

- The reach becomes a question of how they want to niche the product, Mikael Wickelgren points out.

- But the figure is constantly increasing, with new models. I guess it is difficult to sell fully electric cars with shorter reach than 25-30 miles, especially if the price tag is a little more ambitious.

Well chosen model

At the same time, most of us do not drive so far on an average day.

Martin Sköld thinks that the XC40 is well chosen as Volvo's first electric-powered model, since it does not primarily drive longer distances.

Volvo has also promised that the new XC40 will have other news. This includes a driver interface adapted for electric cars, and a "unique" front load space created when the internal combustion engine has been removed.