A comprehensive update has come to the electric powertrains of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge – the results of which are a more efficient drivetrain, higher range figures and a new price tag.
Volvo’s tweaks apply to every XC40 and C40 Recharge model and starting with the entry-level XC40 Recharge single-motor (which has received a price increase to £46,505) there’s now 286 miles of range available – up 22 miles on the old model. The £48,355 C40 Recharge also gets a bump in range from 272 to 296 miles.
This extra range boost has been achieved with the switch from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, says Volvo, and power has also improved from 228bhp to 235bhp. Efficiency figures for the single-motor XC40 Recharge now sit at 3.2 to 3.6 miles/kWh.
The dual-motor XC40 and C40 gain extra range and power too. The £58,380 XC40 Recharge Twin now offers 312 miles of range (up from 270 miles) and its coupe-SUV variant – the C40 Recharge Twin now comes with 316 miles (up from 278 miles).
Although the regular single-motor XC40 and C40 Recharge retain the same 67kWh battery, the dual-motor variants now have a larger 78kWh unit (up from 75kWh). Four-wheel drive has been retained but the system has been tweaked to provide 161bhp at the front and 242bhp at the rear (this is down on the old car’s 201bhp on both axles, but the overall 402bhp combined output remains the same).
The Twin versions also get a faster maximum charging rate of 200kW, up from 150kW. This means the 10-80 per cent battery recharge time drops from 37 minutes to 27 minutes. The single-motor models have the same 27-minute recharging time as before.
Volvo’s updated XC40 and C40 Recharge models are available to order now with production of the Recharge Twin cars starting in May 2023 and the single motor Recharge versions starting in Autumn 2023.
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