Volvo has released details about an upcoming EV version of its XC40 SUV. It will be the firm’s first all-electric car and the manufacturer claim it’ll be ‘one of the safest on the road’.

Compared to the standard XC40, which is available with a range of combustion engines alongside a plug-in hybrid option, Volvo’s safety engineers had to completely redesign and reinforce its frontal structure.

This has been done to help deal with the absence of an engine and adhere to the manufacturer’s ‘high’ level of safety requirements.

Malin Ekholm, head of safety at Volvo, said: “The fundamentals around safety are the same for this car as for any other Volvo. People are inside, and the car needs to be designed to be safe for them.”

With that in mind, a new safety structure for passengers and battery alike has been developed. The battery is protected by a safety cage consisting of a frame of extended aluminium embedded in the middle of the car’s body structure. Volvo state this creates a ‘built-in’ crumple zone around the battery.

The electric XC40 will also be the first Volvo equipped with the manufacturer’s new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform. The tech includes multiple radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.

Ekholm added: “Regardless of what drives a car forward, a Volvo must be safe. The fully electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have ever built.”

The model will be shown to the public on the 16th of October, with the car set to be launched next month as well.