The Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge was launched as the “more affordable” version of the XC40 P8 twin-engine that launched in March last year.
Sacrifices had to be made with the model to make it less expensive than the P8. The P6 is a single 170kW front-wheel drive motor with a slightly smaller lithium-ion battery at 69kWh, compared to the P8’s 78kWh.
Despite the difference in battery size, which makes the P6 158kg lighter, it promises to be more efficient with a longer range of 423km on a single charge (WLTP cycle) versus the P8’s 418km.
It has maximum outputs of 170kW and 330Nm of torque and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds, 2.5 seconds more than the P8 with its 300kW of power and 660Nm of torque.
The models look the same, except the back of the P6 says “Reload” and the P8 says “Reload Twin.”
I spent a few weeks with the P6 from mid-December to January, and in that time we experienced the worst streak of charge loss.
Being based in Johannesburg, power outages were up to 4.5 hours at a time, with shorter intervals between the next scheduled outage. Having an electric car for a longer period of time than normal during stage six meant it wasn’t as easy to plan for.
I previously maintained that, during stage four, I could avoid it. Now, I had to pay attention to whether my power outage was 2.5 hours or 4.5 hours and the times between the next scheduled outage. If I was using a public uploader, I had to make sure it was online and available.
The electric vehicle (EV) has an 11kW on-board charger that you can use at home. It also comes with a wallbox home charging station when you buy it. I used my 32A 7.4kW single phase home charger for frequent recharging. But I found that the car provided an inaccurate estimate of when the upload would be complete. It would always fail over an hour, unlike other EVs I’ve used it with.
Interestingly, to use Audi’s public chargers in my suburb, I was told that I would need “permission” from the dealership manager. I also had problems with Porsche chargers when I had a BMW on test. But Jaguar and BMW dealers don’t question it when it’s presented with another brand of electric car.
All EVs use the same Type 2 charger, so dealerships need to be more open-minded about allowing any EV driver to use their chargers. It works both ways for your drivers too.
Charging issues aside, the car was perfectly suited to my lifestyle for the kind of trips I do. I don’t drive to an office every day, I do my grocery shopping in my suburb, and I rarely drive long distances.
For those of you who don’t know, the Volvo XC40 electric range does not have a “start” button. You just put the vehicle in gear and go. Having driven the P8 at launch, I was familiar with this and didn’t find it out of the ordinary. Once you hit the park button and open the door, the car shuts off.
It’s powerful enough to hover or accelerate on takeoff, and to be fair, it didn’t need the amount of power the P8 possesses. As the “least powerful” option, it’s ideal for those looking to transition to an EV for the amount of driving they do.
When it was below 50% battery, it used the range optimizer, but even then, it drove more efficiently than in my gas car. Outside of any optimization mode, I did not find the air conditioning as powerful as I wanted it to be for the peak of summer in Joburg. My average consumption for three weeks was 22.6 Wh/100 km.
The P6 is comfortable inside. It has plenty of space with amenities like a heated steering wheel and seats, a wireless phone charger, multiple USB-C ports, and park assist cameras.
It also has a great infotainment system powered by Android with built-in Google services, which needs internet connectivity to function. I also paired my iPhone with no problem to use Apple CarPlay.
I loved using Google Maps natively in the car simply because it provides a battery percentage indicator when you arrive at your destination. This little piece of information is crucial for EV drivers as it will also make it easier to find a charger near your destination.
But the connectivity is not very good on the South African roads. Frequent loss of charge also means cell towers are down, compounding the problem. When there is no connectivity, a large part of the controller screen is blank. You can’t change it to a different view as it only supports a single display.
And that brings me to the next point. The Android-based infotainment is basic; not much effort was put into making it look visually appealing. The interface could use a skin, as Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi all have their own overlays on Android; I feel like the cars are missing.
Overall I enjoyed driving the Volvo XC40 P6 Recharge. The load shedding of stage six is indeed a problem, and the prospects are not good, but it requires more planning before going out.
The P6 Recharge is considered the “most affordable” luxury electric car, given that it is the company’s “entry-level” EV. The 25 units allocated at launch sold out in 24 hours through the myvolvo.co.za portal.
Electric vehicles remain expensive in South Africa, and their price tag of R1,075,000 appeals to a niche market. There is no stock of the EV that is sold exclusively online.
