2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge EV Review - This Might be my Favourite Small SUV

[@albertschofield9251]

Just ordered mine! 2023 should arrive in September/October. Love this car. The only time range may be an issue is if I want to drive to Calgary. From Vancouver I can easily go to Whistler or Tofino without any stops to charge. This more than meets my needs for range.

[@DanielEmery]

I own a 2021 Model Y Performance and speaking of those gimmicks... KZbin, Netflix, Hulu, web browser. I never use them. When it takes 2 minutes while sitting on my home wifi in the garage to load youtube homepage it gets old really fast. The games are fun like solitaire while waiting for drive-up take-out or waiting for someone to come out of a doc appt. I never let passenger play while I'm driving which is allowed because it is a bit distracting because they are reaching across your ONLY screen in the car that you have to glance at for nav, speed, everything. Hope this helps someone. Happy to answer any other questions.

[@mayaschneebeli2313]

I bought one and really love it- live in Switzerland and ned it also for mountain drives- eats up more energy upwards on steep lopes but cool on the streets even when curvy.

[@max22148]

Ordered mine, should get delivery within the next 2 weeks. First 2022 models. Hoping for all updates to be completed. We've looked at the Model Y which is $10k more expensive and of lesser quality. Yes it, has more range but for a few road trips beyond 700km /day (need to charge either way) will be minimal. I'm happy to add an hour to the few road trips to have daily build quality and much better looking vehicle. It's a personal choice though. We're planning to take it to California in the fall, we'll see how that goes relying on the Electrify charging network. Also, we all know that Tesla is famous for promoting range it never makes, however still better than the Volvo. I'm also in Vancouver which is plenty to go to Seattle, Whistler without stopping, and one charge to Kelowna.

[@deanegardner2065]

We bought the XC40 Recharge EV over a Model Y, Mustang Mach-e, and Polestar 2.The XC40 just feels right. Our other car is a model 3.

[@EverydayReviews2022]

So how would you compare the XC40 with your Model 3? Thx

[@deanegardner2065]

@@EverydayReviews2022 By comparison (my) Model 3 feels like a kit car in fit and finish, interior design and materials. The Model 3 also rides very stiffly - uncomfortable on rough roads. The 3 is lacking 360-degree cameras and navigation waypoints. However, Tesla's charging infrastructure is easier to use than the hodgepodge of CCS networks. The Model 3 has almost 100 miles /50% more range than the XC40. But for daily-driver use, we'd both much rather be in the XC40 P8 than our Model 3. (My wife's) XC40 has a much better ride quality and IMO a much better looking/ more comfortable interior with nicer amenities. My wife, who is not excited about technology, took immediately to the XC40's familiar Android OS interface. We're android phone users and this was the first thing that got me interested in even looking further at the car.

[@billisdewillis5]

I think there is much to like but for the size of the battery it needs about 100kms more range. The standard model 3 has a 53kwh battery and 423kms range. The Tesla model Y long range AWD has a 75kwh battery, similar acceleration, is actually heavier, and still gets a range of 442kms...what's the deal Volvo? 400kms for us is the sweet spot as we can visit most family and friends without a charge on the way, even with winter range reduction, and makes a longer trip easier with less frequent stops.

[@InternetDude]

This is WAAAAAAAY nicer looking that a Model Y. And built better. I'd pick this every day for sure over the Tesla. And hey I've owned two Model S's...

[@gery4870]

The same here !! I prefere 100 times more this XC40 rather than our Model 3

[@bcardamone]

We love our model 3 but looking to add this one to the fleet. What Tesla has going for it is the supercharger network. No worries traveling at all. The charge networks for non-Tesla vehicles are too sketchy for me for travel. This vehicle for all daily local driving though is perfect. Beautiful design.

[@UnDark1]

I have to xc40. Best car I ever owned.

[@matthewowen5574]

Great review. I don’t think the range is an issue, at least not for me. My office is only 8 miles away from my house. Not to mention, even if I did take a road trip and if the xc40 had more range, I’d still have to charge it at some point during my destination. Or even if I made a short trip, I’d probably have to charge again before I made the trip home. So range is really moot it seems for any car.

[@kyutieboi]

You can drive smoothly with one pedal with sombre practice. The most important thing is letting off slowly and adjusting your braking that way

[@CaryInVictoria]

I concur and would add that it does not take long to reach the point where one is able to drive smoothly without touching the brake pedal, without any conscious thought. As you say, the idea is to modulate the accelerator rather than lifting off abruptly (except in an emergency, of course). Even if one-pedal driving is turned off, when the brake pedal is applied regenerative braking is used to the extent possible to slow the vehicle. It is often overlooked that one-pedal driving is a safety feature, for if the driver suffers a medical emergency and becomes incapacitated, the car will quickly slow and come to a stop.

[@warrenparlee8083]

I ordered a Volvo C40. Should arrive in Jan/Feb. Like the XC40, the C40 should be a fun car!

[@EverydayReviews2022]

Nice!

[@rhettherring4846]

Picked mine up a couple of days ago. So far so good. Should be pointed out that the software has issues. I will not have XM or Apple car play until a planned December release. Also cannot connect to the internet via a sim card right now... having to hotspot off my phone. They are updating in batches so some will get it sooner than others.

[@ramonaboston3161]

Just picked mine up Friday. Volvo on Call/Car app still doesn’t connect.

[@mpdhbdlawcom]

So I saw some local review about the car and decided to go to my local dealer here in Annapolis Maryland. I drove the car. It was like a Lamborghini. And all I have to do is drive home and plug it in so the mileage is perfect

[@AdamJakowenko]

I originally ordered one of these before cancelling and getting a Mach-E. The main reasons were: 1) Range/efficiency. This vehicle is horribly inefficient compared to other EVs especially at the price of 60k. It's probably fine for daily driving around town but it would be my only car and just not good enough range for me in this case. 2) The vehicle currently has no range indicator in miles...it only gives you remaining range in percentage. If I'm out running errands all day and know I have about 80 miles of driving to do, I don't want to look down and see 42% and wonder if that's enough for me to finish my errands without having to stop and charge...and for 60k I should never have to wonder about stopping to charge for daily errands. 3) The backup screen only shows rearview camera, as the review mentioned. There's so much room for both 360 view and backup cam, like my Bolt did, and like my Mach-E does. Of course they could change this in a future update, but Volvo has not indicated they ever intended to do this. And i never buy a car based on future promises. Gotta buy it for what it has now and be ok if that never gets better. 4) The XC40 currently does not have SiriusXM radio, which I listen to every day...not just for music but mostly for talk shows. They are supposed to add it at some point in the future, but timing is TBD and how they'll implement it is also TBD. It will be implemented as an app, and how that functionality/UI will work in this car is unknown. 5) Lastly, Volvo was not willing to discount the cap cost of the vehicle by 7500 on a lease, to account for the tax credit going to the dealer....and I would NEVER buy this vehicle as resale will be absolutely awful given it's range compared to competitors. And by comparison, Ford is offering $2500 off the Mach-E at signing for the Ford Options plan, which allows you to get the benefits of a lease (return the car after 36 or 48 months) but also claim the tax credit yourself, as if you purchased the vehicle. Best of both worlds, and Volvo couldn't compete with that...nor are they currently offering any promos or incentives on the Recharge. I imagine that will change very soon given the competition. Of course Volvo could update the vehicle to fix some of these issues above, but you'd have to be ok with possibly never getting them, or it taking quite a while, and that was not acceptable to me. The Mach-E has ALL of the things above that Volvo is missing on this vehicle, and equal if not better performance and looks, so I went with Ford instead.

[@EverydayReviews2022]

Now someone has done their research. Thanks for the detailed comment. When do you get your Mach-E

[@AdamJakowenko]

@@EverydayReviews2022 Already got it. It's fantastic.

[@brainbuzzvideos]

Your thoughts are similar to mine. The difference is here in Canada, we have NO tax credits or incentives and Ford is charging a 4.99% APR for financing while Polestar/Volvo offer 0.9%. On a car this price, that makes the Mach-E cost around $4000 more by the end despite being the same base price as the Polestar. I only need to buy in December, so I'm keeping an eye on it, but unless Ford lowers that rate the Mach-E is out of the running.

[@richardmichael59]

Mach E is fugly. Recharge can have 360 camera view.

[@AdamJakowenko]

@@richardmichael59 Great points!

[@friedputty]

I love this thing. Costs 2-3 times what my Bolt EV did though! The Volvo's relatively short range isn't great from a value standpoint, but not a huge deal in the real world given that it fast-charges 2-3 times as fast as my Bolt. I am really curious to see if any of these are available at an attractive used price when my Bolt lease is up.

[@rlb2444]

Just added the Recharge to my list of considerations. I like they size, the interior comfort, interior space, quietness and the performance. If it loses out on anything it will be the range. However I do want to be realistic in this area. 90% of my driving will be daily driving within the city which may top out at 50miles per day max. Average might only be 35. However it's the 200 mile roundtrip once per month that would be an inconvenience. I don't like the fact that Volvo is owned by China but realistically Volvo has improved since the acquisition. Other consideration is the Tesla Y and Audi E-tron. The Tesla might win out due to range, technology and updates.

[@williamm8205]

Wow…great car and mostly….great job on the review…your a natural in front of the camera

[@enricio]

When will you bring your family again. It's enjoyable to see you all together.

[@srivarman8612]

I have ordered one, but have to wait about 7 months for delivery.

[@bjkess]

Did you almost get blasted by that Dodge ram pulling into traffic?

[@acchaladka]

We have a chalet at the ski hill and in winter, while this has the space it doesn't have the range to make it there and back. At this price point, that's a deal breaker compared to a Tesla Y LR or even the ID4 for much less.

[@10tenman10]

It's very nice. I looked at the XC40 and found it to be a bit small. I'm not ready to buy an EV, yet though.

[@ca9793]

i test drove and liked it more than model y to be sure which is pretty much at the same price point. having almost 100miles less though is a deal breaker. i will have to wait and see if volvo will bring a longer range version.

[@BrennaFlood]

Hmm, with the recharge times being as low as they are, the lower range was not a deal-breaker for me at all. Great fast charging network support in the PNW.

[@thefintechking]

This is a wonderful electric luxury vehicle. Looks nice. Please tell me what city you recorded in. It looks nice as well

[@BrennaFlood]

Looked like Vancouver, BC to me

[@GroundedFlyboy737]

We don't live in Europe so range is a bigger deal in the States. For that price point, Volvo needs to increase the range dramatically.

[@supertouring1]

They should release a smaller motor with maybe 200hp to get maybe greater range.

[@JimWorthey]

I guess my dream car is the Tesla Model Y, but they keep raising the price. I've been driving Volvos since 1986 so the XC40 Recharge is charming also. About the range, I don't do many long trips in my 24-year old Volvo V70, but I'd want to in a new electric. The most I would ever drive in a day would be about 400 miles. Stated range of is 208. Maybe it would work to plan 3 charges in the 400 miles. The rest stops would be nice, and the exact placement of the chargers wouldn't be so critical. I haven't owned an electric yet. Thanks for the review.

[@MrWTFish]

Im debating on this car or the audi q4 etron

[@michaelcottenden3216]

I think you would have to be a big Volvo fan to buy this. While I believe Volvo has fantastic interiors and Android Automotive OS would be a selling point for me, the range at this price point is a deal breaker. There is too much competition at lower price points with more range. Yes, the interior and styling is better, but I'd rather save the $.

[@Garcia....]

was helpful for me! thx!!!

[@maxquinn5311]

Recommend you “bleep out” where you say “hey Google” or “Alexa” on yr reviews... it triggers Google in everyone’s home ... and my living room doesn’t have the safety systems you just asked it to turn on...

[@EverydayReviews2022]

Oops. Good catch!

[@roelvanes1711]

Great review, will soon be ordering in UK 😁

[@aleksandrbilodid9754]

Beautiful car!!!

[@psvyme48paulh13]

wow so cool 🙏 👍 🇬🇧 🏆 ❤️volvo

[@hdtvkeith1604]

Nice video. Car is nice, but weak range and weaker efficiency make it a tough sell at that price point. Have to wonder how well this car ages and what kind of resale value long term as the default minimum range today seems to be 250 miles. That said on the 2 x 11 mile test loops I have done driving normal in temsp from mid-50sF and then another near 80F the car got 3.1-3.4 m/kwh. So very respectable.

[@mardiniwilldern]

The rear seats are uncomfortable since the chassis is not made specifically for an EV.

[@CaryInVictoria]

The middle seat in the back is obviously unsuitable for an adult, but why do you find the outer seats uncomfortable, considering that those passengers have no batteries underfoot (unlike EVs with a skateboard battery)?

[@philipposkrizopoulos6597]

In my opinion excluding mile range, XC40 P8 Recharge is best EV atm!

[@sharonsutherland3532]

I don't own a recharge. Thinking about it within the next 24 months. Yes, the range of 208 miles may be a deal breaker as I travel 200 miles to visit family. Range may be less with AC or heat.

[@CaryInVictoria]

Watch for the refresh in late 2023. With a bigger battery and more efficient motors the range should increase considerably. Moreover, I wouldn't be surprised if the single motor model now sold in Europe and elsewhere is brought to North America. In the refresh it will be changed from FWD to RWD.

[@beachbumis]

does this have adaptive cruise control?

[@EverydayReviews2022]

Yes it does with steering assist

[@berthogendoorn722]

I think this is a great car, but waiting for the heatpump option.

[@everettab]

It has a heat pump option

[@berthogendoorn722]

@@everettab It is not listed as an option on the configuration website, so I'll need to check with Volvo Canada.

[@everettab]

@@berthogendoorn722 - We live in Vermont in the US so it was important to us when we ordered. Car is stateside but hasn't made its way North from the Port in NJ yet. So I assume it's an option for you in CA too. It was something like an extra $700 maybe?

[@hikurashi83]

He goes full on roboto near the end

[@johprebla]

What is so comical about aTesla “farting”?

[@billbono1153]

Beautiful car! Beautiful color! Thanks to confirm the color as Glacier Silver as I’m considering purchasing this car with this particular color. Great review by the way!

[@TJ-lo3rq]

Hello , first i wants to know what version you driving ? obviously im not a everyday driver , more like weekend or shopping and dont got electric charger yet or so far....Therefore need most of range otherwise useless and dont like backwheels drive due to we going backward in 70's ... No no we need to go in future frontwheel or all wheels otherwise why pay more for backwheel drive..dont get it though......... Now i got XC60 hybrid recharge lectris drive is smooth but dosent give much miles as its a double petrol/electric then one is in need only for one options either petrol or electric, twice is good if drivingin long range which i dont.... Hows Tesla Y model compare with XC40 ?? I know your vlog is 3 year + but i still hope you can or avaliable to give me some answer though afterall you a vlogger .... :)

[@grunf0094]

Kia Niro is similar in interior space, costs less and has a much higher range. This is much quicker however. I would spring for the Niro as I would rather have the range and extra $ leftover.

[@richardmichael59]

Niro = no AWD.

[@srivarman8612]

Nero has no front parking sensors in Australia.

[@mrparkerdan]

If towing, range drops even more 😲

[@phillm156]

I have an ICE car, my commute is only 30 miles but I still don’t want a car with a 2 gallon tank.

[@richardmichael59]

Say what?

[@phillm156]

@@richardmichael59 I wouldn’t buy an electric car with a 100 mile range even if my commute is only 20 miles. Same with an ICE car with a 2 gallon tank.

[@paulholterhaus7084]

I will wait until I can have it for $40k..........But even then it would have to have a more up to date dash.......Bigger flat screen....more the ignorant air vents elsewhere.............Paul

[@Random8806]

I was sold on this until he said 300km. All of these other car manufacturers spend more money on luxury and tech and piss all over the range. Which is why none of them can truly beat Tesla. When these dealers start making a vehicle that compares to Tesla's minimum range of 510km then I'll be interested. For the average person, this might be their only daily driver. And that means road trips and searching for charging stations. I had a Mustang with more range than this.

[@davidcottrell570]

Ask yourself if you have ever shopped for a regular car based on the size of the gas tank. Now think about how nice it would be to plug it in at night and get into a warm car that’s fully charged the next day. NOW, think about having spent less than $10 for a full charge compared to $100, which is what I spend to put gas in my SUV for the same range near where this is filmed. And we hear it’s only going to get more expensive this summer. Great video BTW - thanks!

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

The high MSRP for just 325km is pretty terrible.

[@CaryInVictoria]

Terrible for you (fair enough), but not a problem for some, as shown by the comments above.

[@frederickwalker4450]

Range IS a deal breaker.

[@zanzolit]

RECHARGE EV: is @t still available?

[@djdannyray]

Nice package BC.

[@infernovideo]

Seams expensive for the limited range it offers which is to to bad as it's nice looking.

[@digitalmop]

My google gave you a down vote

[@EverydayReviews2022]

Why?

[@digitalmop]

@@EverydayReviews2022 You triggered my Google assistant everytime 😋 I didn't actually down vote, I thought it was just a clever way of drawing your attention to the issue. You do read every comment eh?

[@EverydayReviews2022]

Ahh yes. Didn’t even think about the Google triggering.

[@BERNIEO4]

Huummm that's it but low..

[@raymondwong2521]

$54,000 0-60 in 4.8 seconds with 208 miles per full charge VS. Fisker Ocean $49,999 0-60 in 3.9 seconds with 340 miles per full charge. Boy, Volvo sucks already before it hits markets.

[@davidcottrell570]

Have you seen a Fisker in anything but a car show? This has been out for two years.

[@JogBird]

android is a huge turn off for me, i dont want google to be involved in any way wit h my vehicle, also, even if you are not signed into your google account, android will phone home and send google your data

[@eugenelawrence8517]

What does your phone do all day regardless whether android or IOS?

[@bjdr2001]

Let’s be honest electric cars are only better for a mission not for the environment we strip mine lithium and cobalt and we have little children do it

[@jackyong815]

Volvo has never been this good before the Chinese taking ownership #MadeInChina2025 🇨🇳

[@bradleyreiman9497]

This vehicle so far is made in Belgium. Owned by China built in Belgium. Anyway-China is good at this-Im thrilled they bought Volvo.

[@VanekLarson]

Getting famous off of comments day 266, so I can live the dream, live every day like it’s your last🤙

[@bigbadbear2962]

That one didn’t go to well for you did it?

[@rrange]

The gasoline version has auto brake hold, that button has been removed on this recharge version since it has a pedal drive which will hold the car in place, curious if 1 pedal driving holds the car in place on a slope? What happens if 1 pedal driving is turned off, will the car still have a feature like auto brake hold? Reason why I ask is that I’m considering this Volvo and auto brake hold is a must for me.

[@jlilly205]

1 pedal drive does hold the car on a slope. I use 1PD all the time, and have not tested it on a slope without it..

[@davidcottrell570]

It engages the emergency brake and does hold on a slope - we have a 15% grade driveway. It works.