Battery booster: More range, faster charging for C40 Recharge, XC40 Recharge

Volvo Car has added up to 60km of range to the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. Meanwhile, it’s also launched rear-wheel drive variants – the first such product in 25 years.

The updated models harness improvements in battery management technology to also improve charging times. That means customers can charge more quickly – and go further on a single charge.

Australia’s public charging infrastructure has been earmarked for major investment. The NSW government this month committed to enabling the roll out of 30,000 chargers by 2026, up from roughly 1,000 public chargers in NSW today. Seven years from now, Treasurer Matt Kean said he expects 50 per cent of all new cars sales will be electric, and forecasts 1 million EVs on NSW roads by that point.

The state government’s ambition to massively increase charging infrastructure coincides with Volvo Car Australia’s commitment to only sell electric vehicles by 2026.

In the meantime, range and charging speed improvements help break down barriers to EV adoption, and to reduce queues seen at public chargers last summer as holidaymakers hit the roads in droves.

**More range, faster charging**

Globally, Volvo Cars says the first two questions asked by prospective buyers are usually, “How far will it go on a single charge?” and “How long does it take to charge?” Now it can answer, “Further and faster than you think”.

**The specs: new rear-while models**

The new C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge variants include two new rear-wheel drive powertrain options. The single motor with standard range is driven by a 175kW permanent magnet electric motor (e-motor), which provides a three per cent 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 of up to 460km according to the WLTP test cycle, compared with 425km previously*.

Meanwhile the range of the C40 Recharge single motor improves from 438km (WLTP) up to 476 kilometres*. Plus, charging is faster: A 10-80 per cent charge takes approximately 34 minutes using a 130kW DC public charger.

**All-wheel drive upgrades**

Applying those updates to the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge boosts range even further by replacing the previous set-up of two 150kW e-motors on the front and rear axles. Now they are configured with a 183kW permanent magnet e-motor on the rear axle and a new 117kW asynchronous electric motor on the front axle.

Paired with an 82kWh battery pack and improvements in battery cooling efficiency, the XC40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD can now drive up to 500km on a single charge – a 62km boost*.

The range improvements on the C40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD are similar – now up to 507km versus 451 kilometres (WLTP)*.

The new variants will be available in Australia later this year, along with the yet-to-be-named new all-electric small SUV.

*The range a customer may experience will depend on driving style, road and traffic conditions, environmental influences, vehicle condition and accessories fitted. Charging times are dependent on factors such as outdoor temperature, current battery temperature, charging equipment, battery condition and car condition.