Things move fast in the automotive industry and even faster in the electric vehicle (EV) market. It has been slightly over a year since I reviewed the Volvo XC40 Recharge, a fully electric compact crossover. At the time, I hadn’t driven too many EVs; a year later, it feels like every other car I drive is either a fully electric or plug-in hybrid.
At the time, the XC40 Recharge was the only fully electric vehicle sold by Volvo in North America. Since then, Volvo added the C40 Recharge, a vehicle based on the XC40, the recently announced full-size EX90, and the EX30. These are just Volvo EVs; there are so many other new EVs in the marketplace that sometimes it becomes hard to keep track of. One thing that hasn’t changed is the long wait times for buying most EVs. Inventory levels are slowly improving, and that’s a trend we want to see more of.
Back to the XC40 Recharge, last week I had the opportunity to drive this fully electric compact CUV for a full week, right after driving the massive Ford F-150 Lightning EV. Below are my thoughts on the 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Ultimate in Sage Green.
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2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Canadian Prices
The 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge is offered in Core, Plus, and Ultimate trims. Prices for XC40 Recharge Core start at $59,950, the XC40 Recharge Plus starts at $68,000, and the XC40 Recharge Ultimate starts at $72,250; all these prices are in Canadian dollars and do not include options, Freight & PDI, and taxes.
Our review car was equipped with the optional Twin Motor (AWD) for $2,500, Pixel LED headlights for $450, and Sage Green paint for $900. Freight and PDI charges are an additional $2,315.
Volvo XC40 Motors/Batteries, Range, and Charging
The 2023 XC40 Recharge is offered with a single and dual motor layout and a 78-kWh battery pack. The output on the single motor XC40 Recharge is 185 kW (248 horsepower.) The XC40 Recharge with twin motors produces 300 kW (402 HP) and 486 pound-feet of torque. The single-motor XC40 does the 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds, while the twin-motor-equipped XC40 drops that time to 4.8 seconds.
The XC40 Recharge Single Motor is rated at 16.6 kWh/100 kilometers and has a combined range of 472 kilometers on a full charge. The XC40 Recharge Twin Motors is rated at 17.5 kWh/100 km and has a combined range of up to 409 kilometers. These ranges are in ideal conditions, with the range dropping in colder weather and the driving style.
Our review car was equipped with twin motors, and the onboard computer showed a 20.0 kWh/100 km consumption in about 50/50 city-highway driving. The review took place in a warm spring week, we didn’t use the heater or AC, so it was a perfectly ideal week in terms of temperatures. I drove the XC40 gently without using too many of the available 400 ponies.
Charging the 2023 XC40 Recharge’s batteries from 10% – 80% on a Level 3 200 kW DC fast charger takes 28 minutes, which is not too bad.
Charging on a Level 2 11 kW AC fast charger takes 8 hours to fully charge the batteries from 0 – 100%.
Charging at home on a Level 1 120-volt standard household outlet takes much longer, and Volvo doesn’t provide how long it will take. However, based on my experience with the XC40 using a 120-volt outlet, the computer showed “5 km of range added per hour”. Based on the theoretical range and some basic back-of-the-envelope math, it takes about 80 hours to charge the XC40 Recharge from fully depleted to 100%. My daily commute is around 30 – 40 km/day, so I had more than enough time to replenish the batteries daily using the 120-volt outlet. A Level 2 home charger is a must if you are doing longer daily commutes.
Driving the XC40 Recharge
Electric cars are heavy, but thanks to the instant torque, they don’t feel as heavy as they should under acceleration. The XC40 is a smaller vehicle, and with the available torque and all that horsepower, it is quite fun to zip around in city traffic. Its small footprint makes zipping in and out of city traffic quite fun. It’s no slouch on the highway either; putting your foot down quickly gets into “way above legal speeds,” and passing slower cars is not even an issue.
The suspension setup is well balanced between sport and comfort; the setup is comfortable for daily driving and sporty enough for a bit of twisty road driving as well. The brakes perform quite well, and there is no noticeable change when the car goes from regenerative braking to mechanical braking.
Exterior Styling
The XC40 shares its looks with the rest of the Volvo family, with its distinctive “Thor’s Hammer” headlights and an overall clean design. The only difference between the Recharge and the gasoline-powered XC40 that I could see is the closing off of the grill, which most people won’t even notice.
It is a cute-looking car with big 20” wheels, which look massive on the XC40. Our car had the optional Sage Green paint, which is quite eye-catching and had many people turning their heads to have a better look; this is quite a unique paint and suits the fun personality of the XC40.
Interior
The interior of the XC40 Recharge can be mistaken for any of the current Volvo offerings. It’s a clean, minimalist interior, with a 9” vertical infotainment screen and a 12” digital gauge cluster. The infotainment system uses the Android operating system, which is easy to use, but I would’ve liked more menus and a colorful layout.
The interior is mostly hard plastics, which is not something you’d expect in a $70,000+ vehicle; the XC40 Recharge is based on the cheaper gasoline XC40, which explains the materials. The interior is decently roomy and should provide enough room for four adults.
Overall Impressions
The 2023 Volvo XC40 is a fun little electric car; it’s nimble, fast, and comfortable. However, it’s quite expensive, especially on the top trim, and still features hard plastics on most of the surfaces you’d touch. The lower trims offer better value for money, and the range of 470 kilometers of the single-motor versions is respectable and should be more than enough for most people. The charging times are not too bad if you plan to take your XC40 Recharge on long road trips, provided you can find fast chargers working.
For more information on the XC40, check out the Volvo Canada website.
