2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge

　　

2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　The 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge is an all-electric version of the gasoline-powered XC40, Volvo's smallest SUV. It's the first full EV marketed as a Volvo and is soon to be followed by the sleek and mechanically identical C40 Recharge. As with most long-range electric vehicles, the XC40 Recharge features DC fast charging — which can fill the battery from zero to 80% in 40 minutes — or fully recharge in eight hours using a 220-volt home or public charging station.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Volvo XC40 Recharge EV Insights

Trim:XC40 Recharge Core

　　Core 4dr SUV AWD (electric DD) - $51,700 MSRPPlus 4dr SUV AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $55,300 MSRPUltimate 4dr SUV AWD (electric DD) - $58,150 MSRP

　　

Range

　　223 miles

　　EPA Estimated Range

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 190 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　8 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$84/mo

　　XC40 Recharge

　　vs

　　$167/mo

　　SUV Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　According to the EPA, the 2022 XC40 Recharge offers a respectable 223 miles of range when fully topped off. That EPA estimate is an increase of 15 miles over last year's XC40 Recharge thanks to a software update. We've yet to put the 2022 model through our real-world range test but a 2021 model made it 240 miles in our test with a fully charged battery. This is certainly enough for most daily driving, but know that some rival EVs can go considerably farther.

　　The Volvo has a lot of tough competition, with even more on the way. Rivals include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Tesla Model Y, the Audi e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace. The XC40 is smaller than most of its rivals, but it packs a ton of features and performance into its compact package. If you're looking for an EV but don't want the flash of something like a Model Y or Mustang Mach-E, we think the XC40 Recharge is well worth a look. Check out our Expert Rating for additional evaluation of the vehicle's comfort, utility and more.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　7.9

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the XC40 Recharge drive? The best thing about the XC40 Recharge is how it drives. Beneath its unassuming wrapper is easy and instant thrust. Accelerating to 60 mph happens in just 4.5 seconds, quicker than Ford's Mach-E and Tesla's Model Y Long Range. And despite the Volvo having some pretty basic all-season tires, there's a decent amount of traction and control out of the corners that makes this little SUV pretty fun to whip around.

　　All this speed doesn't come at the sacrifice of everyday drivability either. The XC40 Recharge is effortless to drive at any speed and features a one-pedal driving mode that dials up the motor's regenerative braking effect, allowing you to slow to a stop without having to use the brake pedal.

　　And speaking of modes, there is an off-road mode that helps with steeper hill descents should you encounter such a situation. But considering the Recharge's marginal ground clearance, we wouldn't venture very far off the pavement.

　　

Comfort

8.0/10

　　How comfortable is the XC40 Recharge? For a small, sporty SUV, the XC40 Recharge is fairly comfortable. The biggest differences between this all-electric version and its gas-powered counterpart? The Recharge is much quieter and its climate control turns on faster. We found the regular XC40's engine to be a big contributor to noise, and its slow-booting onboard systems meant delays in turning on the climate system via the touchscreen controls. The Recharge starts up and is ready to drive the moment you open the door, and its electric motors produce very little noise.

　　The Recharge's ride is more firm than comfortable, likely because of its extra weight and its bias toward sporty handling. The front seats are a mix of suede and leather, and they are fairly comfortable and have a decent amount of adjustments. As in the other XC40s, the headrests have an odd forward angle to them, which may be uncomfortable for people with longer torsos.

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