Volvo's first full-EV was this car, what's now called the EX40. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

The EX40 is pretty much everything you'd expect a Volvo full-EV model to be but in its earlier form, badged as the 'XC40 Pure Electric', this car needed a few tweaks. It's had them. In recent times with this design, the base single motor front-driven version's been replaced by a rear-driven variant with longer range - and the dual motor AWD model has got a larger battery, so goes further too. Adding new 'EX40' badging has completed the transition - creating the car we're going to look at in this review. As before, the drawback is premium pricing but otherwise, a lot of boxes seem to have been ticked here.

Background

Volvo's first full-EV was this car, originally called the XC40 Pure Electric and now known as the EX40. Time to take a fresh look at it. We didn't actually see this car in its original XC40-badged form until 2020 - long after most rival makers had entered the full-electric segment. And that delay was strange because Volvo had previously been near the forefront of the trend towards electrification; the company was, after all, one of the very first to popularise Plug-in hybrid powertrains in its models. And at the end of the last decade, played a significant role in helping to establish one of the most forward-thinking electric brands on the market - Polestar. That Polestar link is strong here; this model shares its CMA platform and virtually all its engineering with a Polestar 2. Which meant it also got the substantial range of engineering updates made to that small Polestar in late-2023. Shortly after these were introduced, Volvo decided that the electric side of the XC40 model line needed more of its own identity, so in early 2024 the EV variants were separated from their combustion counterparts by a new name - EX40, creating the car we're going to look at here.

Driving Experience

There are three flavours of EX40 on offer. Most customers will opt for the 69kWh 'Single Motor' version, which was once (in this car's original XC40 Pure Electric form) front-driven, but the Swedish maker's now moved the e-motor to the rear axle and slightly uprated its output to 238hp. Without any real impact on performance - rest to 62mph is dispatched in 7.3s on the way to the 112mph top speed that all Volvos these days share. EV driving range is WLTP-rated at up to 296 miles. Ideally though, you'd want to stretch at least as far as the mid-level 'Single Motor 'Extended Range' mid-level rear-driven model, which has 252hp and uses a larger 78kWh battery providing for a 345 mile range. The faster EX40 alternative is the 'Twin Motor' AWD variant, which uses a larger 82kWh battery pack and twin electric motor set-up that has adopted different front and rear e-motors, with 150hp and 258hp respectively. These provide for a prodigious 408hp total power output figure in the standard Twin Motor model, but if for some unfathomable reason that's not enough, you can boost it further to 442hp with the optional 'Performance' software upgrade that comes included with the two added 'Black Edition' trim grades; this upgrade was one of the few changes introduced as part of this design's transition to 'EX40' status. Even with a standard Twin Motor EX40 variant, performance is startling, a massive 670Nm of torque (at which point the main motor is spinning at a heady 14,000rpm), catapulting the car to 62mph in just 4.7s. Whatever kind of EX40 you choose, to get the kind of range figure that Volvo claims, you'll need to engage what the Swedish maker calls 'One Pedal Drive', selectable from the 'Driving' menu provided on this centre-dash screen. This dramatically increases the regenerative braking effect when you come off the throttle, to the point where the brake pedal will hardly ever be needed.

Design and Build

The switch of name to EX40 hasn't been accompanied by any significant visual changes, but this electric model had already been given some of those in recent times. You'll find most of the most recent updates at the front, where differences over the very earliest electric XC40s include a smarter front bumper and a frameless front grille. From the side, the looks of this Volvo remain distinctive - divisive even. The rear is less wilfully controversial, but very stylish with a look that if you know your premium SUVs, could only belong to a Volvo. Inside, the cabin is slightly starting to feel its age in comparison to the most modern of its many competitors. Though Volvo has done its best to lift things - notably with the striated plastic trimming panels you get if you avoid base-level trim, which illuminate translucently at night. There are few giveaways to this Volvo's battery-powered remit, save for a few EV-specific electronic gauges. There's no starter button - just a blanking plate where that would be on a petrol XC40. Delve into the workings of the central portrait-style 9-inch screen and you'll find that the infotainment system is powered by Android, which means you get a raft of over-the-air Google features, including Maps and YouTube Music built in. The other screen you'll be using is the 12.3-inch 'Progressive Driver Display' you view through the pleasingly chunky three-spoke wheel. In the rear, because the EX40's basic architecture was designed to accommodate a full-electric powertrain from the start, there are no compromises over combustion versions when it comes to rear seat legroom, aided by the relatively lengthy wheelbase. Which is just as well because legroom in the back is not overly generous in comparison to the class norm and adults won't want to travel long distances here. The boxy shape means that headroom's fine though, even if you've got a panoramic glass roof fitted. Out back, the standard power-operated tailgate raises to reveal a low loading lip over which you access a cargo area rated at 404-litres up to the window line, which is pretty much the same as in a combustion XC40. There's a ski hatch provided for longer items and if you push forward the 60:40-split back rest forward, up to 1,336-litres of total capacity is revealed if you load to the roof. This full-electric model also gets an addition 31-litre 'frunk' storage space beneath the bonnet for the charging leads.

Market and Model

The EX40 model comes with a choice of single or dual-motor powertrains and a choice of either 'Core', 'Plus', 'Plus Black Edition', 'Ultra' or 'Ultra Black Edition' levels of trim. Prices start from around £46,000 for the rear-driven 69kWh Single Motor version, a base drivetrain only offered with the cheapest 'Core' and 'Plus' specs. Most customers will want to find the £1,750 extra needed for the bigger-battery 78kWh Single Motor Extended Range powertrain, offered with all the trim levels. There's then a step up in price of around £3,500 to get your EX40 with two motors rather than one and get yourself the 82kWh AWD Twin Motor 82kWh model, which costs from just under £58,000 in standard 408hp form. If you want that Twin Motor drivetrain in its upgraded 442hp 'Performance' form, then you'll need one of the two 'Black Edition' spec levels. Got all that? Good. Whatever kind of EX40 you decide upon, it's worth pointing out that almost no one considering this car will be thinking in terms of purchasing it outright. In most cases, they won't even be buying it from a dealer; this Pure Electric model was the first of the brand's cars to be offered exclusively online - which is the way that all future Pure Electric Volvos will be sold. You can still go into a dealership and order it if you want, but it's probably easier just to go online and order it from home - probably using the 'Care By Volvo' subscription service, which is the way that up to 95% of EX40 models are apparently likely to be acquired.

Cost of Ownership

We've already given you this EX40 model's operating range in our 'Driving Experience' section; a maximum of 296 miles for the base Single Motor model, up to 343 miles for the Single Motor Extended Range version and up to 332 miles for the Twin Motor version. Across the range, Volvo claims an electrical consumption figure of between 3.6-3.8 miles-per-kWh. All these figures position this Volvo competitively in its segment, but they're still some way from being up with the class-leaders; thank this Swedish contender's portly kerb weight (around 2-tonnes) for that. Even to achieve this Volvo's stated figure, you're going to need to make a lot of use of the 'One Pedal Drive' feature that maximises regenerative braking. Still, at least charging times are competitive. The base Single Motor model DC charges at up to 135kW and the Single Motor Extended Range version DC charges at up to 155kW, meaning a 10-80% public DC charge now requires 33 minutes. The top Twin Motor version DC charges at up to 205kW, which reduces the 10-80% DC charge time to 28 minutes. As for AC charging from home, well with a typical single-phase 7.4kW garage wallbox, for a full charge you'd need 11 hours with the base 69kWh battery, 12 hours with the mid-level 78kWh battery and 13 hours with the Twin Motor version's 82kWh battery. You could reduce these durations to around 8 hours with a faster 3-phase 11kW supply. With this EV, as with its main rivals, you'll be rated at just 2% for BiK Benefit-in-Kind taxation until this is reviewed in Spring 2025. Servicing will be at the same intervals as an ordinary XC40 (every year or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first), but the bill you get should be cheaper because there will be fewer consumables to replace, though remember that with an EV, tyre wear tends to be greater than with a combustion model.

Summary

The government talks about incentivising the sale of electric vehicles. But then progressively reduces buying incentives on them. Car manufacturers talk about wanting to increase the EV percentage of their sales: but then price full-electric models beyond the reach of most buyers. It's a conundrum. And for the time being, it doesn't show any real signs of being solved. This EX40 model is a case in point. This Volvo is a very well engineered little electric vehicle. But, like all its direct rivals, it costs quite a considerable amount. There are lots of things we like though, about what this Swedish maker has tried to do here. The accessible 'Care By Volvo' finance package; the sophisticated Google-based tech for the media and Pilot Assist driving systems; and the practical front storage area. The brand's really thought carefully here, not only about what customers might want but also what they might really need in a premium EV of this kind. All of which makes this EX40 model a difficult car to ignore if you're seeking a premium compact crossover that allows you to more easily make that seismic switch to EV motoring. It's an electric vehicle; and a design that these days, has just a bit more of a spark.