Production of the new Volvo XC40 Recharge started this week. The 100% electric version that finally has homologated autonomy figures both under the WLTP cycle and the demanding American EPA cycle. The latter, a long-awaited test due to its difficulty and realism that offers us more precise autonomy numbers.
As we recall, the battery of the electric XC40 is 78 kWh, of which it uses 75 kWh, which is liquid-cooled and made up of LG cells. Until now, Volvo had indicated that this battery would provide it with about 248 miles of approved range. Figures that we now know officially.
The autonomy under the EPA cycle of the XC40 Recharge has achieved 208 miles of autonomy. A fairly modest number if we compare it with the 403 kilometers that Volkswagen has indicated will have its ID.4 in this market where it will start from $39,990 compared to a figure for the Volvo yet to be confirmed, which will be around $50,000.
A Volvo that by price competes with proposals from a somewhat higher segment, such as the Tesla Model Y, which under the EPA cycle achieves 250 miles of autonomy. It was achieved with a battery with very similar characteristics in terms of capacity compared to the XC40, an estimated 75 kWh useful, but with which the American model achieves 52% more autonomy.
Volvo will play the trump card of its qualities, power, design, and equipment before this. But it will not be easy in the face of a competition that far surpasses it in issues such as autonomy where the Swedish SUV is shipwrecked in an important way in the aspect of autonomy that leaves it very far from its main alternatives.