While it hasn’t received much hype in the news, we’ve seen lots of consumer interest in Volvo’s new XC40 Recharge. Volvo has opened up pre-orders for the car on their website recently. So today we’ll break down everything to show you why you should be excited about this new option from Volvo.
A familiar design
In stark contrast to the futuristic designs we see on many new EVs, the XC40 comes across as comfortable and modern. Looking at the inside the XC40 looks more in line with what we’ve come to expect from a modern gas-powered SUV. It does have an infotainment screen enabled with Android Auto which we’ve taken a look at before. But the XC40 ditches the massive wall of pixels that have been dominating the EV space lately.
From the outside, the XC40 looks just like any other unassuming SUV. Volvo hasn’t seen the need to change the general design of an SUV. While many other EVs are looking sleeker than ever, the XC40 looks, well, normal. If I saw it in a parking lot I doubt I’d even be able to tell it was electric.
While this might sound bad, I think this less boundary-pushing design will work in Volvo’s favor. Don’t get me wrong, the XC40 looks nice. Really nice. But it looks much more similar to a gas-powered car than any other EV we’ve seen to date. And I think that will push more people to buy electric cars.
While more futuristic designs like the Model 3 are super cool, not everyone wants to buy a spaceship. Electric car manufacturers are finally understanding that consumers want green SUVs. But I think Volvo is the first to realize they don’t just want big cars, they want familiar cars.
Competitive specs
With the electric car market getting so competitive in 2020, every new offering needs competitive specs to not get left in the dust. The XC40 is definitely in this race, hitting 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds. With over 400 horsepower and a 2000 pound towing capacity has plenty of power to spare.
The only spot the XC40 might stumble a bit is range. With roughly 200+ miles of range, the XC40 isn’t exactly best in class. While that should be plenty for most drivers, it’s not impressive with so many other cars like the Nissan Ariya sporting a 300-mile range. And while the 40 minute charge time to 80% is competitive with other fast chargers, no one can come close to the performance of Tesla’s superchargers. With Tesla’s Supercharger 3 fast chargers you can add 75 miles of range in just 5 minutes.
The range is a tough spot, possibly giving some range anxiety, but is competitive with many current offerings. And I don’t think these fast chargers are common enough to affect anyone’s purchasing decision anyway. Most people just charge at home overnight. But I think these differences just show how much of an advantage Tesla has with their battery technology.
Wrap up
The XC40 looks to be a very attractive offering. While it doesn’t have any crazy features we haven’t seen before, I think it’s familiar design will be its strength. Coming in 8 colors, the XC40 can be had for less than $48,000 AFTER the federal tax credit. I’m very excited to see how well this car does and see if Volvo can gain a strong foothold in the market. Volvo is aiming for half of its global sales to be electric by 2025, so I can’t wait to see what other new offerings we see from them. We’ll keep you updated with any updates about the XC40 as we await it’s release this fall.
