Volvo makes safety-focused tweaks to electric XC40

Volvo said the frontal structure of the battery-powered version its XC40 has been completely redesigned and reinforced because the new version of compact crossover no longer will have an engine.

The changes include putting the car's lithium ion battery in a safety cage that consists of a frame of extruded aluminum. In addition, the battery has been embedded in the middle of the car’s body structure, creating a built-in crumple zone around it.

The XC40’s electric powertrain has also been integrated in the rear portion of the car’s body structure to better distribute collision forces away from the cabin and reduce the strain on people inside the car if there is an accident.

“The full-electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have ever built,” Volvo head of safety Malin Ekholm said in a release.