The Volvo XC40 Recharge is based on the multi-award-winning and best-selling XC40 small SUV. Not only is it the first fully electric vehicle in the Volvo family but an even greater shift to the future utilising a brand-new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system.
Over the next five years, Volvo Cars will launch a fully electric car every year, as it seeks to make all-electric cars 50% of global sales by 2025, with the rest being hybrids. Recharge will be the overarching name for all chargeable Volvos with a fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Volvo XC40 Recharge uses a pair of electric motors to deliver a combined power of 300 kW and 660 N.m of torque, power is sent to all four wheels through a single-speed transmission. Providing these motors with juice is a 78 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that offers 315 km of range on the WLTP cycle and the ability to charge up to 80% in 40 minutes through 150 kW fast charging. The P8 derivative can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4,78 seconds.
On our mixed-use fuel run, the P8 returned a figure of 22,7 kWh/100 km, undercutting Volvo’s 23,8 kWh/100 km claim. Disregard eco-conscious driving etiquette altogether, mash the throttle and the P8 makes an almost comical transformation, from cute zero emissions wafter to sportscar bothering missle
From the outside, the overall shape is still similar to the ICE XC40 but there are some changes here and there. For starters, an enclosed grille, since there is no need for a large cooling area. The grille is flanked by the two headlights featuring the Thor hammer design for the DRL. As expected, the XC40 received LED lights for everything, thus reducing energy consumption while also improving lighting efficiency. At the back, the flared wheel arches and the specific Volvo taillights remained virtually unchanged, the charging port is mounted on the left rear fender.
The new infotainment system offers customers unprecedented personalisation, improved levels of intuitiveness and new embedded Google technology and services, such as the Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store. The Android-powered infotainment system is fully integrated with Volvo On Call, the company’s digitally connected services platform. Via Volvo On Call, plug-in hybrid drivers can track how much time they spend driving on electric power.
Volvo has divided the XC40 Recharge’s lineup into three trims for 2022, starting with the entry-level Twin and then upgrading to the midrange Twin Plus, then the loaded Ultimate. As a taste of electric motoring, the P8 is an impressive piece of engineering that manages an entertaining admixture of eco-conscious and eye-widening performance.
Find the full story in the October 2022 issue of CAR Magazine.
