Volvo launched its first ever electric car in May 2020, called the XC40 Recharge. The Swedish company claims it had more than 249 miles of range, and that it could be recharged to 80% capacity in 40 minutes. It was also the first Volvo to feature software and operating system updates over the air.
However, the XC40 Recharge wasn’t the most affordable, as it cost £53,155 at the time. The electric SUV ushered in the start of a new era for Volvo, as it was the first step in the marque’s ambitious strategy to transition away from combustion engines.
The intention is for half of the new cars it sells worldwide to be all-electric by 2025, with the rest of the range being made up of hybrid models. Volvo plans to be a fully electric car company by 2030, with the ultimate intention of making the business carbon neutral by 2040.
Volvo electric cars available now
The company currently has four battery electric vehicles in its range, which is made up of three SUVs and one Crossover. The smallest SUV is called the EX30, the XC40 Recharge is the midrange version, the C40 Recharge is a coupe version of the XC40 and the EX90 seven-seater is the largest model in the range.
There have been some reported teething problems with the XC40 Recharge. Customers have claimed not being able to connect to the internet, unusual shutdowns and random app crashes. Over the air updates have partially resolved some matters, and future upgrades might well fix the predicament going forwards.
In terms of charging, Volvo is in partnership with a company called ChargePoint. It recommends Home Flex for residential charging and setting up an account as well as using the app to access station locations for public and workplace charges.
Volvo C40 Recharge
There are two performance choices to pick from. The first is the single motor option, which comes with rear-wheel drive and 238hp, meaning it can do 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds. It can cover up to 296 miles on one charge. The second choice is the twin motor option, which comes with all-wheel drive and 408hp, meaning it can do 0-62mph in a much faster 4.7 seconds. It can do up to 342 miles on one charge.
One of the closest rivals to the Volvo C40 Recharge is the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron.
Volvo EX30
This is the newest fully electric addition to the line-up. It’s also the smallest SUV in the Volvo range, and the cheapest costing. There is the single motor option that can do 295 miles on one charge, produces 272bhp and will do 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. Then there is the extended range version which can do 411 miles on a single charge, produces the same 272bhp, but does 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds. Then there is the twin motor performance version, that does 394 miles on one charge but produces 428bhp, which means it will do 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds.
The closest rivals to the Volvo EX30 is the Mercedes EQA and the BMW iX1.
Volvo XC40 Recharge
This is the midsize, midrange SUV that Volvo makes. There are two editions to choose from. The single motor version with rear-wheel drive that produces 238hp and can do up to 289 miles on one charge. It can 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds. Whereas the twin motor version has all-wheel drive has 408hp and can do up to 333 miles on a single charge. It can do 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds.
One of the closest rivals to the Volvo XC40 Recharge is the Audi Q4 e-tron.
Volvo EX90
This is the largest and most expensive fully electric SUV that Volvo makes. It can seat up to seven people and costs from £96,255. There are two types of motor to choose from. The first option is the twin-motor which has a marginally better range of 363 miles from one charge. It produces 408hp and does 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds. The second choice is the twin-motor performance which has the worse slightly less range of 360 miles. But it produces 517hp and does 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds. You don’t sacrifice much in range, yet you get improved performance. It does cost more though.
The closest rivals to the Volvo EX90 are the BMW iX and the Tesla Model X.
The future of Volvo
There are more electric models coming that are set to launch at some point. One of these is the EX30 Cross Country, which is set to be a rougher and tougher version of the original small electric Volvo SUV. It’s set to be more oriented around off-roading and outdoor lifestyle.
Volvo is currently building a manufacturing plant in Slovakia that will be carbon neutral and build only electric cars.
