25 years have passed since Volvo sold a rear-wheel drive vehicle for the last time: in 2023 that absence marks its final point, although this time this system will not be linked to a combustion engine. On the occasion of the upgrade planned for 2023, the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Volvo C40 Recharge bring back Swedish rear-wheel drive.
Among Volvo’s novelties for 2023, the arrival of two rear-wheel drive variants for the C40 Recharge and the XC40 Recharge with different electric motors and batteries stands out. The first one is equipped with a 235 hp motor and can be combined with a 69 kWh battery, which promises a range of 460 kilometers, according to the WLTP Cycle, for the Volvo XC40 and 476 kilometers for the Volvo C40. It can recover 80% of its capacity in 34 minutes with a public 130 kW DC charger.
The second variant is linked to a 248 hp permanent magnet electric motor, located on the rear axle: it is second generation and has been developed internally by the Swedish brand. It is accompanied by an 82 kWh battery pack. This capability increases the range up to 515 kilometers for the Volvo XC40 Recharge and up to 533 kilometers (WLTP) for the Volvo C40 Recharge. This package allows charging at a maximum power of 200 kW DC: it takes about 28 minutes to reach 80%.
In both cases, autonomy and charging improve compared to previous models. Not surprisingly, the range grows up to 60 kilometers in some variants.
All-wheel drive, updated
The versions with all-wheel drive, for their part, have also received their corresponding updates. The previous configuration formed by two 200 CV electrical blocks disappears to leave its place a dual scheme made up of a 245 CV permanent magnet electric motor (located on the rear axle and developed internally) and another 157 CV asynchronous motor, installed on the front axle.
This new configuration, along with an 82 kWh battery pack and overall battery cooling efficiency improvements, means that the Volvo XC40 Recharge offers up to 500 kilometers (+62 kilometers). The autonomy of the Volvo C40 Recharge grows 56 kilometers to 507.
By last, the plug-in hybrid models of the 90 and 60 series will receive, in 2023, a new integrated charger Two-phase battery that allows these models to charge at a faster rate. Not surprisingly, with this system the maximum charging capacity of these vehicles is almost doubled to 6.4 kW.
