Hot off the heels of announcing that it's set to go electric-only by 2030, Volvo followed up its enviromentally-friendly news with another big announcement: the C40.

Technically the company's first all-electric car - ok, so there's the XC40 Recharge, but we're calling that a crossover - the C40 goes big on a number of features.

First, the range: its 78kW battery, which powers dual motors, means a purported 420 kilometres per charge (that's 260 miles). Volvo says this will improve over time as the system learns, using over-the-air (OTA) updates.

Volvo C40 photo 2

Which brings us to big feature number two: the Volvo C40 will feature unlimited data as standard, as part of its Google Android-based infotainment system, complete with Google Assistant voice control, Google Play apps, and more.

We've seen this type of setup only once before - in the Polestar 2 (the once Volvo-owned company that's since splintered off into an independent). It's therefore no surprise that the Volvo C40 has more than a passing resemblance to that very car. But that can only be a good thing, as the Polestar 2 was our award-winning car of the year 2020.

And so to the third big feature: the Volvo C40 will be sold online only. This is an extension of the earlier news about Volvo's commitment to going all-electric - half of its vehicles will be by 2025, all will be by 2030; and by 2040 it aims to go carbon neutral with assistance from its partners (critical in sourcing materials for battery production and offsetting as applicable) - and utilising an all-online model.

But that doesn't mean you can only order from your living room. There will still be Volvo stores, pop-ups, and other partners to assist with sales. A quick delivery scheme will be streamlined by making most sales pre-configured - so you pick, it's 'packed' and delivered in minimal time. 

Volvo C40 photo 1

Whether buying or using the Care by Volvo scheme to lease - in the future with the idea of including insurance, maintenance, warranty and even a home charging station install (where possible).

So there you have it: Volvo's all-electric future is spearheaded by a car that's not only electric, it's got decent range, a commited method to purchase online, and goes big on Google Android for what we think is the best in-car infotainment system we've seen to date (as we said of the Polestar 2).