Volvo XC40 Single is a cool EV, but does it all add ap?
It can’t be easy selling electric cars in South Africa. Without government subsidy, they’re hell expensive. Never mind the charging network is basically non-existent. And then there’s the EV lie. Dwindling sales reveal an awkward truth.
Most carmakers have revisited way brave EV promises, That pie in the sky electric motoring future is now, well, a thing of the past. So I suppose, one has to salute Volvo for still beating that electric drum.
South Africa’s most popular battery brand, they sold more than five hundred Volvo EVs in South Africa last year. A quarter more than the next best seller. Bravo!
A single minded Volvo EV approach
Now to keep it rolling, Volvo will now public charge your EV for free. They’ll also instal a free wall box in your garage. And hand you ten gigs of free Vodacom data a month to keep the car connected. In other words, twelve grand of free electric juice a month, and the rest.
Anyway, let’s try get back on track… Like the Twin, this XC40 Single retains its ICE looks. That’s neat. It alloys are cool too. There’s nothing special inside, but it’s well enough stacked and cobbled together in typically Volvo cool style for a sense of comfort And safety.
There’s no start button. Just sit, select drive and do it. It’ll shut down for you when you’re done too. The smart, if spartan cabin is getting a touch long in the tooth though. Just check that dinky infotainment screen.
Who wants to talk to a car?
It has a few buttons and ‘Hey Google’ is great on paper. But who talks to cars? Or themselves. Grandma said it’s a sign of madness. So it’s down to touch for me. I want buttons. I abhor losing myself in senseless systems. This is car is excellent at that.
As its name suggests, this Volvo XC40 Recharge Single features one electric motor, versus the Twin we drove some moths back. The lone unit shifts aft to also make it the first rear-driven Volvo in a quarter century.
It has a slick single switch gearbox and they promise it’s cooling enhanced 69 kWh battery pack will deliver 460 km of WLTP range. But we know better than those shallow promises. Expect closer to 350 km before range anxiety freaks you out.
Local infrastructure can’t meet Volvo promise
They also promise that this here Single Motor will charge from ten to three quarters full in under half an hour at a 200 kW public DC fast charging station. Which is cool. If you live in Paris, LA or Oslo. With 200 kW charging stations on every street corner.
Unfortunately the closest 130 kW charger to us is way far away. God knows if there’s a 200 kW station within a thousand miles. Our charging network is useless. And when you find a half decent charger, there’s probably be two or three cars waiting in line. Drat.
Driving this 175 kW 330 Nm car, we missed the Twin’s bezerk acceleration. Yip, Single is qick in it own right, comfy and quiet. Even if the XC40 lacks the suspension finesse of some German rivals. That said, it’s easy enough to drive every day.
Single sits in the shadow of its Twin
But is it worth the premium? No. Not that electric car excess. We’re talking about the relative lack of premium up to this one’s big Twin Engine sibling. See, this car makes about half the power and precisely half the torque that the Twin Engine delivers.
It’s quick enough. But still a third slower. And it can’t quite match the Twin on range. Yet it’s only 15% cheaper. So we struggle to see the point. Especially when that difference is half of what Volvo gives you back in free electricity over two years, whichever the version!
Nope, we’re no electric car fans. Never will be. But if Volvo was so gracious as to hand us a quarter million worth of petrol or diesel for free with one of its splendid combustion models, I’m pretty sure we'd not be alone to rush down to the local Volvo dealer to snap it up.
Sadly the modern world is way too woke for that. We can only dream! – Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Volvo XC40 Recharge Single
Motor: electric
Output: 175 kW 330 Nm
Drive: Direct RWD
Battery: 64 kWh lithium-ion
TESTED:
0-60 km/h: 3.57 sec
0-100 km/h: 7.56 sec
0-120 km/h: 11.12 sec
0-160 km/h: 20.60 sec
400m: 15.6 sec @ 143 km/h
80-120 km/h: 7.11 sec
120-160 km/h: 9.92 sec
CLAIMED:
VMax: 160 km/h
Energy Use: 18.3 kWh/100 km
CO2: 0 g/km local
Range: 460 km
Warranty/Service: 5y 100K/5y 100K km
LIST PRICE: R1.108M
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