THE order books have opened for Volvo's first all-electric car, the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric P8, but potential buyers will face a long wait to get behind the wheel of the ground-breaking new, all-wheel-drive Swedish SUV.

For first deliveries of the Swedish newcomer, which will cost from £53,155 in R-Design spec, aren't expected until early next year.

The XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is the first of five fully electric cars which will be launched by Volvo over the next five years and is claimed to be capable of travelling more than 249 miles on a single charge and to take as little as 40 minutes to recharge to 80 per cent of its battery capacity using a fast charger.

Inside, the battery-powered XC40 will be the first Volvo to be fitted with the company's brand-new infotainment system, powered by Google Android, which comes with embedded Google technologies and services such as Google Maps and Google Assistant while other automotive apps will also be built in.

Says Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK's managing director: "For Volvo Cars, the future is electric. The battery-powered XC40 spearheads our ambitious sustainability strategy, while bringing the huge benefits of electric driving - and more - to an already award-winning package."