Frequently asked questions about shifting during electric propulsion
When driving the XC40 Twin engine, it sometimes feels like I lose power when accelerating at about 80-90 km/h (50-56 mph). Why is this?
In the XC40 Twin engine, the electric motor is installed in combination with the transmission. When the electric motor is used, it starts in second gear and switches to fourth gear at high speeds (80-90 km/h (50-56 mph)).
When shifting from second to fourth gear while accelerating, the engine loses power, i.e. the torque from the engine is reduced for a short period of time in order to perform the gear shift. This behavior is normal.
Why does the vehicle need to shift gears?
By using a low gear at lower speeds, the electric performance can be improved at takeoff and during low-speed driving. This means that the power from a combustion engine is not needed in the same way as in a regular hybrid.
By using a high gear at higher speeds, the electric propulsion and the power can be used for higher speeds. This can help reduce energy consumption at higher speeds.
Sometimes I don't feel like the engine is losing power. Why is this?
The power transmission will always strive to change gears from second to fourth gear during electric propulsion whenever the driver fully or partially releases the accelerator pedal. This means that the driver will barely notice the gear change. If the driver instead applies constant acceleration from lower speeds up to about 90 km/h (56 mph), the gear change will be noticeable in the way described above.
When the speed is reduced, the downshift from fourth to second gear will be barely noticeable because no extra power is required for downshifting. The gear change can therefore take place without any interruptions in power.