Charging your car
Starting charging
Important
Avoid plugging the charging cable in when there is risk of thunderstorms or lightning strikes.
Make sure the car is in park (P).
Connect the charging cable to the charging source. Some stations have a permanently attached charging cable that you connect to your car.
Open the charging lid by lightly pressing on its rearmost end.
Remove any protective covers from the charging port and cable connector.
Connect the cable to the car.
When the cable is fully inserted it locks into place. Charging starts within a few seconds and once started, the charging input socket/charging port1 light pulsates green.
Stopping charging
You can stop the charging process at any time.
Important
Always stop the charging session before attempting to unplug the charging cable from the car. If you don't, you may cause damage to the cable or the system.
- C40, EC40, EX40, EX90, XC40 Recharge Pure Electric: Stop the charging cycle by pressing the release button next to the charging input socket/charging port2, or via the centre display.
- EX30: Stop the charging cycle by unlocking your car, or via the centre display.
The charging is stopped and the charging cable unlocks from the charging input socket/charging port1.
Note
When you unlock your car, charging stops and the charging cable unlocks for around 90 seconds. If you do not remove the cable within this time, it re-locks and charging resumes.
Unplug the charging cable from the car.
Reattach any protective covers to the charging port and cable connector.
Depending on the cable you have used:
- Unplug the charging cable from the charging station.
- Reattach the charging cable to the station's storage socket.
Close the charging lid.
Fast charging your car
Starting fast charging
To initiate fast charging, make sure the car is in park (P).
Open the charging lid by lightly pressing on its rearmost end.
Remove any covers from the charging port and cable connector.
Use both hands to press the cable's connector all the way into the charging port. Make a habit of pushing the charging cable upwards for a couple of seconds after inserting it to ensure connection and locking.
The charging cable automatically locks in place after a few seconds.
Follow the charging station's instructions for charging authorisation.
Charging starts after an insulation test has been completed by the charging station. It can take a minute to complete. When charging has started, the charging input socket/charging port1 light pulsates green. The driver display3 and the centre display both show the estimated remaining charging time or if charging is not working properly.
Interrupted fast charging
If fast charging is interrupted, the charging needs to be reauthorised via the charging station's user interface before it can resume.
Unplug the charging cable from the car.
Plug the charging cable in again.
Follow the instructions in the charging station's user interface.
Stopping fast charging
Important
Always stop the charging session before attempting to unplug the charging cable from the car. If you don't, you may cause damage to the cable or the system.
- C40, EC40, EX40, EX90, XC40 Recharge Pure Electric: Stop the charging cycle by pressing the button next to the charging input socket, or via the centre display.
- EX30: Stop the charging cycle via the charging station, or the centre display.
The charging is stopped and the charging cable unlocks from the charging input socket/charging port1.
Unplug the charging cable from the car.
Reattach the protective cover on the cable connector.
Reattach the charging port's protective cover and close the charging lid.
Problems with releasing the charging handle
If you don't disconnect the charging cable after the charging has stopped, it will automatically lock again. If this happens, try a second time and if the charging handle still isn't released, try the following:
Make sure the key is within range and the car is unlocked.
Switch the power supply to the charging box off in a safe manner. If you're charging at a public charging station, contact the charging stations customer service for assistance.
Carefully wiggle the charging handle.
Lock and unlock the car.
Lock the car and wait until the charging input socket/charging port1 light turns off. This can take up to 7 minutes. Then unlock the car and try again.
If the problem persists, contact a Volvo dealer.
Using the charging cable emergency release handle
Warning
Before using the emergency release handle, check the driver display4 or the charging port to make sure the charging process is stopped. The release handle should not be used when charging is in progress.
If the charging cable doesn't release after charging is complete and the car has an emergency release handle, you can use it to manually release the charging handle.
Open the boot and the cargo hatch.
- C40, EC40, EX40, EX90, XC40 Recharge Pure Electric: The emergency release handle is located to the left, under the floor panel.
- EX30: The emergency release handle is located under a cap on the left side of the boot. Remove the cap by prising it off with a screwdriver or similar tool.
Carefully pull the emergency release handle until you feel resistance.
The charging handle unlocks from the charging port.
Note
The emergency release handle automatically retracts when the next charging cycle is started.
Wait for about 5 seconds before unplugging the charging cable from the car.
- C40, EC40, EX40, EX90, XC40 Recharge Pure Electric: Put the floor panel back, close the cargo hatch and the boot.
- EX30: Put the cap back, close the cargo hatch and the boot.
Charging input socket LED signals
| Signals | Description |
|---|---|
| White, solid | Welcome light |
| Yellow, solid | Waiting mode5 - waiting for charging to start. |
| Yellow, pulsating | Waiting mode6 - waiting for the charging cable to unlock after pressing the button next to the charging port to stop the charging. |
| Green, pulsating | Charging in progress.7 |
| Green, solid | Charging complete.8 |
| Red, solid | A fault has arisen. Check the charging cable's connection to the car’s charging input socket and power source. Then restart charging in the following steps:
|
| Red, pulsating | The car is locked and does not detect a key when unlocking the charging cable via the button next to the charging input socket. |
| Blue, solid | Scheduled Charging activated in the centre display or in the Volvo Cars app. |
Charging port LED signals for EX30
| Signals | Description |
|---|---|
| White, solid | The cable is not connected, or the cable is connected but the car is not charging. |
| Green, pulsating | The car is charging.9 |
| Green, solid | The car is either done charging or has stopped charging. |
| Red, solid | The cable is plugged in but there is an error in the charging connection. Depending on the error, the display shows different messages. If the problem persists, contact an authorised Volvo workshop. |
| Blue, solid | The car starts charging according to the set schedule. Information about the scheduled time is visible in the centre display. |
Charging port LED signals for EX90
| Signals | Description |
|---|---|
| White, solid | Charging port location light. The charging cable is attached and unlocked. |
| White, pulsating | The charging cable is attached and the charging process is either initiating or waiting to start. |
| Green, pulsating | Charging is in progress. |
| Blue | Charging is scheduled. |
| White, pulsating fast | The status is visible while charging is being stopped. |
| Green | Charging is complete. |
| Red | Charging fault. Check the displays for additional information. Always make sure that the charging cable is correctly connected to the car's charging port and that the power source, such as the cable or the charging station, works correctly. If an error is indicated, try to disconnect the cable from the car, then reconnect it and re-initiate charging to see if the problem is solved. If the problem persists, contact an authorised Volvo workshop. |
| Red, pulsating | The status is visible if you have tried to unlock the charging cable without being authorised. Unlock the car and try again. |
Applicable models
C40, model year 2022-2024
EC40, model year 2025 and later
EX30, model year 2024 and later
EX40, model year 2025 and later
EX90, model year 2025 and later
XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, model year 2021-2024