Volvo Outlines 2024 C40 Recharge And XC40 Recharge Upgrades

Volvo Car USA has just announced the upcoming 2024 model year versions of its two all-electric cars: the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge.

Both cars will receive a set of upgrades and an all-new single-motor version, compared to the 2023 model year (described here), mostly in-line with what we heard earlier this year.

Before we will jump into details, let’s just note that more driving range, a new battery pack, new electric motors, and faster DC charging were mentioned among the updates.

New Single Motor Version

First of all, there will be new Single Motor Extended Range rear-wheel drive versions of the Volvo C40 Recharge and Volvo XC40 Recharge in the United States – for the first time in 25 years.

They will be equipped with an all-new, second-generation, 185-kilowatt (kW) (248 hp) permanent magnet electric motor (developed in-house at Volvo Cars) on the rear axle and a new 82-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack (compared to 78 kWh in the existing cars).

According to the Swedish brand, the combination of a more energy-dense battery (5 percent higher capacity) and a more efficient motor will allow Volvo to substantially increase the range of the cars.

The EPA Combined range to be:

• 2024 Volvo C40 Recharge RWD: 297 miles (478 km)
  [71 miles or 31% more than the 2023MY AWD version]
• 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge RWD: 293 miles (471 km)
  [70 miles or 31% more than the 2023MY AWD version]

The battery and powertrain changes are not the only ones that contributed to the range boost. The company mentioned also exterior updates, including a new 19-inch alloy wheel for both C40 and XC40 Recharge that helps to reduce drag through its aerodynamic design.

We must admit that the increase to nearly 300 miles is a significant change.

Another benefit of a new 82-kWh battery pack is a better fast charging characteristic. The pack will now accept up to 200 kW of power and recharge from 10 to 80 percent of state-of-charge (SOC) in 28 minutes (compared to 37 minutes in the case of the 78 kWh battery packs, which are limited to 150 kW).

Upgraded Twin Motor Version

The dual-motor, all-wheel drive (AWD) versions will also be upgraded with the 2024 model year, but interestingly, the manufacturer has decided to retain the 78 kWh battery this time.

The main change in the AWD version will be a completely new powertrain. Instead of two 150 kW electric motors, there will be two new, in-house developed motors:

• 190 kW (255 hp) permanent magnet electric motor on the rear axle
• 110 kW (147 hp) asynchronous electric motor on the front axle

The new asynchronous motor (called also an induction motor), is expected to improve efficiency, because it can run idle, with minimum losses when not in use (the rear motor will do most of the work alone). The Volkswagen Group is using the same strategy as with the MEB platform.

“As the asynchronous motor does not require a constant electrical charge, the Twin Motor conserves energy by engaging the front-axle drive only when it’s needed – contributing to the improvements in range.”

We assume that the total system output will remain at around 300 kW, while the overall acceleration will remain the same, or maybe even slightly improve.

Thanks to the new motors (and aerodynamic changes on the exterior), the car will get 12-14 percent more EPA Combined range:

• 2024 Volvo C40 Recharge AWD: 257 miles (414 km)
  [31 miles or 13.7% more than the 2023MY AWD version]
• 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge AWD: 254 miles (409 km)
  [31 miles or 12.2% more than the 2023MY AWD version]

Unfortunately, the battery remains the same at 78 kWh, which means 150 kW peak charging limit.

* EPA-estimated range, according to Volvo

For your convenience, below we attached a comparison of the RWD and AWD versions of the 2024 model year cars.

We don’t know all the technical details (or prices) yet, but for now, it seems that as long as there is no need for all-wheel drive and higher power (better acceleration), the RWD has many advantages (range, efficiency, charging power).

* EPA-estimated efficiency, according to Volvo

A similar comparison for the XC40 Recharge.

* EPA-estimated efficiency, according to Volvo

Overall, the changes are positive and should help Volvo to improve its competitive position in the US, until the next-generation Volvo EX90 will not enter the market.

Javier Varela, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive at Volvo Cars said:

“These updates are another big step in our work towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030. Range and charging times are new key factors for more and more of our customers, and these improvements make our fully electric models even more attractive than they already were.”