2024 Volvo XC40 & C40 Recharge EVs pricing: More range, faster charging, RWD

Australian pricing has been announced for the updated 2024 Volvo XC40 small electric SUV and its sibling, the 2024 Volvo C40 small electric coupe SUV.

As reported previously, Volvo has improved the driving range and charging time for its updated EVs. And, in exciting news for diehards, the entry-level, single-motor variants have shifted from front- to rear-wheel drive.

It is the first time Volvo has offered a rear-wheel-drive vehicle in 25 years, following the discontinuation of the 900 Series, later known as the S90 and V90.

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More importantly for most buyers, both models benefit from improved driving range and charging times – detailed below.

The updated 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is priced from $76,990 before on-road costs, while the 2024 C40 Recharge Pure Electric starts from $78,990.

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Upgrades: Drive configuration, charging and range

The entry-level models switch to rear-wheel drive, rather than being front-driven, to improve efficiency and extend range. It also gets a power bump to 175kW (up 5kW).

However, these entry models retain the 135kW max DC charging speed offered with the outgoing MY23 cars.

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‘Twin’ dual-motor models gain 62km in claimed range

Australia-bound dual-motor models gain the larger 82kWh gross battery described in the above note (up 4kWh), with an extended WLTP claimed driving range of 500km on the XC40 EV and 507km for the sleeker C40.

The updated dual-motor XC40 and C40 Recharge also come with changes to the all-wheel-drive torque split between the front and rear axles – now 117kW and 183kW, respectively – but combined outputs remain the same at 300kW and 660Nm.

Acceleration times are unchanged for both powertrains, with the single-motor sprinting from 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds and the dual-motor at 4.9 seconds.

? Nine minutes faster to charge

In dual-motor form, the XC40 and C40 EVs gain an upgraded 200kW DC fast charging capability, up from 150kW. That cuts its claimed 10-to-80 per cent recharging time to 28 minutes – a nine-minute improvement.

There’s also a new, aerodynamic-focused 19-inch alloy wheel design available for single-motor XC40 and C40 variants.

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? Something looks different about the XC40…

The XC40 Recharge electric SUV gained a mild facelift in early 2022 to align it with the C40 Recharge coupe SUV, with a tweaked front design, new interior dashboard trim, and the introduction of the single-motor version in Australia with a smaller 69kWh gross battery.

What’s to come?

The local arm has promised to offer a completely electric line-up from 2026, spearheaded by the recently unveiled EX90 flagship large electric SUV. By then, Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan recently predicted that EVs will reach price parity with internal combustion engine models.

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