One such development has been the rise of electric vehicles or EVs. When Toyota’s first electric hybrid, the Prius first hit the scene, the initial scepticism quickly dissolved as owners largely reported satisfaction with the fuel efficiency and reliability of the hybrid drive.

In that vein, 2019’s Volvo XC40 Recharge represents the famed Swedish automaker stepping up and pursuing a fully electric future, which they plan to achieve by 2030.

In hindsight, it’s easy to view the first hybrid in the company’s portfolio as a proof of concept, a test to see whether people would embrace the company’s then-unannounced electric dreams. Given that there is a fully electric model slated to arrive this year, they must have liked what they saw.

Volvo Cars CEO Hakån Samuelsson reckons electric vehicles will account for 50% of its global sales volumes by 2025, and the company also has the aim to reduce its life-cycle carbon footprint per vehicle by 40% by the same year. It wants to be climate neutral by 2040.

The XC40 Recharge hybrid is a good entry point for anyone who, like Volvo, is looking for a soft entry into the electric world.

While it shares a few similarities with its fossil fuel sibling, the XC40 Recharge is designed from the ground up to be a full EV, and the turbocharged three-cylinder twin engine is to make space for the electric motor fitted into the company’s Compact Modular Architecture platform.

Beneath is the Common Modular Architecture (CMA) that underpins the Polestar 2, various Lynk & Co models, and the Geely Xingyue (aka Proton X50). Importantly, it was conceived to accept an electric powertrain so that the XC40’s functionality is uncorrupted.

With many areas outside the Klang Valley lacking convenient electric car charging points for a full EV, the hybrid gives buyers the option of relying on petrol should the battery go flat. The car typically uses a blend of petrol and electric propulsion depending on how you’re driving, but you have the option to manually swap between the two should you want to.

As the country (hopefully) begins to ramp up the infrastructure needed to promote the transition to fully electric vehicles, hybrids offer a best of both worlds’ scenario. The combination of the petrol engine and electric motor gives you excellent fuel efficiency but doesn’t make you beholden to it either.

However, it’s important to note that this is only true if you are a responsible hybrid owner.

Surveys show many buyers are attracted by tax benefits rather than reducing their carbon footprint, and that the majority don’t plug in overnight. If you make the effort, the planet will thank you for it.

If not, your emissions will end up being higher since the car is heavier with the addition of the battery and motor.

If you do remember to charge regularly to take advantage of the electric motor, your emissions end up being lower than with a combustion engine alone, but without the range anxiety associated with running out of battery. We’ve all felt the panic when we don’t have a charger and our phones are on 2%. Now, imagine it’s a car and you’re 30km from home.

A fully electric future might be the future of motoring, but for now a hybrid could be your best bet. Until the government has an EV policy, hybrids remain the most practical option to wean car buyers onto fully electric vehicles.

Volvo’s goals are noble and lofty. Not only are they aiming for the future, but they are hoping their customers come along for the ride.

Now it’s up to the rest of us to hop on the electric bandwagon and be kind to the future generation by plugging-in every night.