Volvo XC40 T4 Recharge - a gateway drug to getting an EV

I’ve always liked the idea of driving an EV. The silence, the instant torque, the environmental benefits. It all sounded great, but one thing held me back: range anxiety. The thought of running out of battery on a long trip or dealing with unreliable charging infrastructure made me hesitate.

That’s why, in February 2024, I bought a used 2021 Volvo XC40 T4 Recharge Inscription with 22,000 km on the clock. It seemed like the perfect middle ground, a car that lets me drive electric most of the time but still has a petrol engine as a backup. Now, after more than a year behind the wheel, I’m certain a PHEV is the perfect gateway drug to getting an EV.

Owning a plug-in hybrid has completely changed how I think about electric driving. I’ve learned when and how to charge, how much fuel I can actually save, and what it’s really like to live with a car that blends both worlds. It’s been an eye-opening experience, one that has me seriously considering a full EV for my next car.

Is it a good car?

It’s no use having a PHEV if you don’t enjoy driving it. Fortunately, the XC40 ticks all the boxes. It’s been great as a family car. The 450-liter boot is almost big enough to take in all the luggage a family of three needs on a trip. I will admit there were some times when I used the back seats or the front passenger seat to store additional bags. But I didn’t consider for a moment getting a roof box.

Even with the car packed to the gills, performance is more than satisfactory. Power comes from a 1.5L turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine and an 82 hp electric motor, delivering a combined 211 hp and 405 Nm of torque. It does 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 180 km/h. If you need more, the T5 Recharge has 262 hp which will take you to 100 km/h in just 7.3 seconds.

There’s plenty of room inside to get comfortable. The front seats are one of the best I’ve ever sat in. They offer great support, are effortlessly adjustable, and the build quality feels top-notch. I put them to the ultimate test on a 7-hour drive this past year, and by the end of it, I felt surprisingly fresh. No stiff back, no soreness, just pure comfort. It’s not all positive, as passengers in the back may wish the seats reclined more.

Let’s talk about the driving experience. Right away, the car feels planted on the road, and overtaking is effortless, even when fully loaded. I don’t know about you, but I find something charming about a revving 3-cylinder engine. Of course, it would get annoying if it constantly sat at 4,000 rpm. Thankfully, at 130 km/h on the motorway, it stays around 2,500 rpm, making for a much smoother ride. Volvo has also done a great job insulating the cabin from both engine and wind noise, keeping things quiet and comfortable.

The steering is on the heavier side, which I personally like. It only gets noticeably lighter when switching to Off-Road mode (and just to clarify, XC40 PHEVs are not 4x4s). The steering wheel itself feels great in hand, and I appreciate that Volvo didn’t clutter it with a million buttons, the controls are simple, well-placed, and easy to press.

Then there are the two displays, which I like more than I expected. Sure, physical climate controls would have been nice, but I don’t adjust them often anyway. Both screens are bright enough to read in direct sunlight and automatically adjust when entering or exiting tunnels, which is a nice touch.

The only downside? Apple CarPlay only takes up the bottom half of the central display, a well-known issue with Volvos running Sensus OS. If fullscreen CarPlay matters to you, you have two options: buy a third-party module to fix it or choose an XC40 with Android Automotive.

Last but not least, it’s a Volvo, which means safety is a top priority and that’s something I appreciate even more now as a parent.

So, is it a good car? Absolutely. If you want a compact SUV that feels more premium than what VW, Ford, or the French brands offer, the Volvo XC40 is a solid choice. And that’s before even considering the PHEV benefits.

Is it a good PHEV?

Let’s start with the numbers. Volvo placed a 10.7 kWh battery under the center armrest, with 8.5 kWh usable for electric driving. Officially, that’s good for 45 km, but as we all know, real-world range depends on a million factors.

After driving 22,000 km in my first year, here’s what I’ve learned. In winter, you can expect around 28 km of range at speeds up to 100 km/h (in and around town), but on the motorway, that drops to 21 km or less. Warmer weather makes a big difference. Right now, with temperatures around 15°C, I’m getting over 40 km on a single charge. The best I’ve ever managed was 54 km, which just goes to show how much conditions can impact range.

Charging the car is as simple as it gets. Plugging it into a household socket takes just over 4 hours for a full charge, with a maximum speed of 2.3 kWh. If you have a charging station at home or nearby, that time drops to 2.5 hours at 3.7 kWh.

If you want to use the car as much as possible in electric mode, I’d definitely recommend installing a charging station. I have one from the Volkswagen Group, and aside from two hiccups, it has worked very well.

By now, you’re probably wondering how much fuel I actually save each month. The answer? A lot. My previous car, a 2007 Nissan Qashqai with a 2.0L engine and 140 hp, was pretty thirsty, averaging over 9L/100 km. In comparison, my plug-in XC40 has used just 3.7L/100 km over the last 6,270 km. That’s a huge difference.

If this car is so good, what’s the catch?

Looking at the specs, you’ll see that the electric motor only produces 82 hp. That’s fine for a small city car, but in a 1.8-ton SUV loaded with luggage and people, electric mode (or “Pure” mode, as Volvo calls it) won’t exactly push you back in your seat. Yes, it can reach 130 km/h and merge onto motorways without a problem, but relying only on electric power means you won’t have that instant burst of speed when you need it.

A common issue with PHEVs, including the XC40 T4 Recharge, is the need for frequent charging, sometimes even twice a day, to maximize electric driving. At home, this isn’t a problem since I can always rely on my charger. But when I’m out, finding a working charging station isn’t guaranteed. Some are out of order, others won’t start, and a few lack phone reception or WiFi to initiate charging. On top of that, some are blocked by parked ICE cars. Dealing with these obstacles quickly becomes frustrating.

Modern PHEVs can now drive over 100 km on electric power, but performance is still a limitation. That’s why I see plug-in hybrids as the perfect stepping stone to fully electric vehicles. With an EV, I wouldn’t have to worry about charging before every trip. And that leads to the final challenge: range anxiety.

Take the 7-hour trip I mentioned earlier, which was only 310 km long. I stopped twice, not because of range, but simply because long drives call for breaks. But let’s say I hadn’t stopped at all. According to A Better Route Planner, if I had driven an all-electric Volvo XC40 (Single Motor Extended Range, 2020-2023 model), I would have made it home with 12% battery left, no charging needed. For anything longer than 310 km, I wouldn’t mind planning a stop or two to charge the car.

So yes, the Volvo XC40 T4 Recharge has truly won me over. As a car, it checks all the right boxes: safety, comfort, performance, economy, and reliability (with just one service so far). And as a PHEV, it did something I never expected: it made me seriously consider switching to an EV in just over a year of driving it.