Volvo XC40 Recharge. Source: Volvo
Volvo has announced that its popular electric XC40 and C40 SUVs are to get an upgrade and more range thanks to a new powertrain set up and faster charging speeds.
The single-motor version sees the biggest change by going from a front-wheel-drive setup to a rear-wheel-drive powertrain. The new motor will be mounted in the rear to send power to the rear wheels.
The dual-motor all-wheel-drive cars see an upgrade to their drivetrain too. The new rear-mounted motor for the C40 and XC40 Recharge models has been developed by Volvo Cars themselves rather than being sourced from an external manufacturer.
Speaking of the new motors, the single-motor variant goes from 170 kW in the current front-wheel-drive model to a 175 kW rear-wheel-drive powertrain for both Volvo electric SUVs.
The 0-100 km/h time on the single-motor variant remains at 7.4 seconds.
The new motor is powered by the current 69 kWh battery on the XC40 Recharge Pure variant with enhanced cooling efficiency to deliver up to 460 km of WLTP range. That’s up by 35 km from the current 425 km range on offer.
Volvo XC40 Pure Recharge. Source: Volvo
Similarly, the C40 Recharge Pure Variant gets a jump up ot 476 km of WLTP range thanks to the cooling efficiency and the more aerodynamic looks of the car. On these models, the battery can be fast-charged from 10-80% in 34 minutes.
The AWD XC40 and C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin models are now driven by two new motors. In these models, the rear motor produces 183 kW while the front is now delivering 117 kW. That’s a combined 300 kW and 660 Nm of Torque.
The 0-100 km/h time on the dual-motor powertrain variants is 4.9 seconds.
The new powertrain on the all-wheel-drive XC40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin model is powered by an 82 kWh battery pack with now packing a 500 km of WLTP range. That’s an increase of 62 km on the current model.
On the C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin, 507 km of WLTP driving range is on offer.
Volvo XC40 Pure Recharge. Source: Volvo
Charging power has also been increased to 200 kW DC charging compared to a maximum of 150 kW previously available. This means that 10-80% charging of the new all-wheel-drive models can be done in 28 minutes.
That’s cut the time of fast charging on road trips by up to nine minutes based on the current models.
“These updates are another big step in our stated local strategy of becoming fully electric by 2026,” Volvo Car Australia Managing Director, Stephen Connor, said in a statement.
“Globally, Volvo is firmly committed to becoming an electric-only carmaker by 2030, but in Australia we’ve previously announced we will make the transition to full EV happen by 2026.
“The powertrain and battery upgrades in XC40 and C40 Recharge models will help us achieve this goal and accomplish our aspiration of selling 20,000 fully electric cars every year in Australia.”
He also elaborated on the specifics of these models and what has driven some of the improvements to these models:
“Two of the most frequently asked questions customers ask about our fully electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge are: “How far will it go on a single charge?” and “How long does it take to charge?”
“These upgrades address those questions and will make our fully electric models even more attractive than they already were.”
These new models can be ordered now with pricing before on roads on the models being:
- Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric – $76,990
- Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin – $85,990
- Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric – $78,990
- Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin – $87,990
The next generation of these models will be part of the MY24 range which will start arriving in Q3 2023.
Keyword: Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge electric models to get more range