Volvo has announced a package of product updates for its fully electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge models. The updates include improvements in range (WLTP) and charging times compared with the outgoing model year, increasing range by as much as 60 kilometers on some variants.
In addition, three new powertrains are offered on the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge, including two rear-wheel-drive variants, the first time in 25 years that the company is offering a rear-wheel-drive product. The second-generation permanent magnet electric motor driving the rear axles for the fully electric C40 and XC40 models has also been developed in-house at Volvo Cars.
“These updates are another big step in our work towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030,” said Javier Varela, the company’s chief operating officer, and deputy chief executive. “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.”
The two new rear-wheel drive powertrain options include a single motor with standard range, driven by a 175kW permanent magnet electric motor (e-motor), which provides a three percent 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 460 kilometers according to the WLTP test cycle, compared with 425 kilometers before. The range of the C40 Recharge single motor meanwhile improves up to 476 kilometers from 438 kilometers (WLTP). A 10-80 percent charge takes approximately 34 minutes using a 130kW DC public charger.
The all-wheel drive variants also benefit from these updates, realizing 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 The previous set-up of two 150kW e-motors on the front and rear axles has been replaced by an in-house developed 183kW permanent magnet e-motor on the rear axle and a new 117kW asynchronous electric motor on the front axle.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 500 kilometers on a single charge, a 62-kilometer boost over the previous iteration. The range of the C40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD has improved up to 507 kilometers from 451 kilometers (WLTP).
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.
Additionally, the plug-in hybrid models in Volvo’s 90 and 60 Series will now feature a new two-phase on-board charger that allows these models to charge at a faster rate (market dependant). The new onboard charger almost doubles the maximum charge capability on these cars to 6.4kW.
