GOTHENBURG: Volvo has brought back rear-wheel drive after an absence of 25 years. It is now available in the fully electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge.
The single motor with standard range is driven by a 175kW permanent magnet electric motor (e-motor), which provides a three per cent increase in power output over the outgoing 170kW single-motor front-wheel drive variant.
In the XC40 Recharge single motor, the same 69kWh battery capacity is carried over, but enhancements in cooling efficiency mean it can now deliver increased range and driving up to 460km, compared with 425km before. All ranges are according to the real-world WLTP cycle.
The range of the C40 Recharge single motor meanwhile improves up to 476km from 438km. A 10-80 per cent charge takes about 34 minutes using a 130kW DC public charger.
Volvo offers an option to upgrade power and range. Customers can opt for a larger battery coupled with a more powerful, 185kW permanent magnet e-motor on the rear axle.
This second new variant comes with an 82kWh battery pack which boosts range up to 515km for the XC40 Recharge single motor extended range and up to 533km for the C40 Recharge single motor extended range.
Here too, charging power has improved as the larger battery pack allows for charging at an updated top rate of 200kW DC (previously 150kW DC maximum), while a 10-80 per cent charge takes about 28 minutes.
The all-wheel drive variants also benefit from these updates, realising even more impressive range improvements. The previous set-up of two 150kW e-motors on the front and rear axles has been replaced by an in-house developed 183kW permanent magnet e-motor on the rear axle and a new 117kW asynchronous electric motor on the front axle.
This new configuration, paired with an 82kWh battery pack and overall efficiency improvements in battery cooling, means the XC40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD can now drive up to 500km on a single charge, a 62-km boost over the previous iteration. The range of the C40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD has improved up to 507km from 451km.
Exterior updates also help to improve efficiency where possible. For example, a new 19-inch alloy wheel for both XC40 and C40 Recharge not only boosts the overall look of the models, but it also helps to reduce drag through its aerodynamic design.
“These updates are another big step in our work towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030,” said Volvo chief operating officer and deputy chief executive Javier Varela.
“Range and charging times are new key factors for more and more of our customers, and these improvements make our fully electric models even more attractive than they already were.”
Elsewhere in the product portfolio, the plug-in hybrid models in Volvo’s 90 and 60 Series get a new two-phase on-board charger that allows these models to charge at a faster rate (market dependant). The new on-board charger almost doubles the maximum charge capability on these cars to 6.4kW.
Keyword: Volvo rear-wheel drive makes comeback in its electric SUVs