Volvo's First Electric Car Will Cost $54,985
Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.
Volvo's First Electric Car Will Cost $54,985
The lovely Volvo XC40 is going all-electric. Volvo announced the XC40 Recharge P8 a few months back, and today via Automotive News, we get pricing—$54,985, including destination. Underneath the skin, the XC40 Recharge is similar to the new Polestar 2 sedan, sharing that car's platform, novel Android-powered infotainment system, 78-kWh battery, and 402-hp twin-motor powertrain. It all sounds very neat, but there is a catch. Like the Polestar 2, the XC40 Recharge has a disappointingly low range figure—just 208 miles based on EPA estimates. The XC40's closest rival, the Tesla Model Y, starts at $49,990 and offers 326 miles of range.
Lance Stroll Has Recovered From COVID-19
Racing Point Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll missed this month's Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, and at the time, it was only announced that he had an unspecified illness. Now, Stroll announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 after the GP weekend, and that he's made a full recovery. With a negative test in hand, he's good to contest the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao this weekend. The only other F1 driver to get COVID-19 this year was Stroll's teammate, Sergio Perez. Nico Hulkenberg subbed for both ailing Racing Point drivers, putting on impressive performances that have fueled speculation that he may return to F1 full time next year.
Ferrari Says It's Getting Quicker
Much of Ferrari's woes in Formula 1 this year are down to its engine, which is down on power after a still-opaque settlement with the FIA reached before the start of this season. But, the Scuderia has also dealt with "correlation" issues, where what it was learning in simulations wasn't applying to reality. Racer reports that those issues are getting solved, though. New aerodynamic parts seemed to help at the Nürburgring, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth and finishing seventh, and further upgrades to the SF1000 are being made before this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix. They won't help reduce the power deficit to Mercedes, but the upgrades should make for a less draggy car.
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