The C40 Recharge is the second pure electric car from Volvo, the first was the XC40 Recharge. Just like the XC40 Recharge the C40 Recharge has been given an official towing capacity. In fact, while the XC40 and C40 are very similar vehicles underneath the towing capacity of the C40 Recharge is actually higher at 1,800kg. The higher towing capacity is welcome. However, is the Volvo C40 Recharge competitive when it comes to real-world range, DC rapid charging rate and importantly its price? Well, let’s discuss…
Table of Contents
Key Volvo C40 Recharge Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 1,800kg
- Availability – Now
- Price – £57,400
- Range (EV Database) – 210 miles
- Estimate Towing Range (50%) – 105 miles
- Maximum DC Charge Rate – 151kW
- Rapid Charge 10% to 80% – 32 min
- Check Used Volvo C40 Recharge Specs
Volvo C40 Recharge HP & Torque
- AWD: 402 HP and 487 lb-ft of torque
Volvo C40 Recharge Towing Capabilities
As stated above, while the Volvo XC40 Recharge has a towing capacity of 1,500kg, its new sibling the C40 Recharge has been given a higher towing capacity of 1,800kg. More towing capability is obviously a good thing, however, do the other specifications of the C40 Recharge add up to make it a good overall package?
Well, just like the original P8 version of the XC40 Recharge the C40 has been given an AWD powertrain with over 400 horsepower. Therefore the C40 Recharge is not wanting for power, it has more than enough power/torque to easily pull any 1,800kg trailer/caravan.
However, the C40 Recharge suffers from the same issue with the XC40 Recharge, and that’s range. Granted, the sloping roofline appears to have given the C40 Recharge a slight bump in range due to its improved aerodynamic profile.
Though, the real-world range of the C40 Recharge is likely around 210 miles, hence around 105 miles while towing based on the typical 50% range reduction with a trailer on the back. So the question is then, for the £57K price point of the Volvo C40 Recharge is it a competitive option as an electric tow car?
Volvo C40 Recharge VS The Competition
If we look at other electric tow cars with a towing capacity of around 1,800kg what else is there? Well, Volvo is a premium brand so an alternative premium option with the same 1,800kg towing capacity would be the Audi E-Tron 50 Quattro at £60K.
When it comes to range the 210 miles of the C40 Recharge is actually much better than the 175 miles the E-Tron 50 Quattro will achieve, though the E-Tron is a bigger car with more storage space.
You would have to spend quite a bit more to get a Mercedes EQC starting from £65K, the same 1,800kg towing capacity but it will provide a better 230-mile real-world range and again, its a bigger car than the Volvo C40 Recharge.
With a slightly lower towing capacity of 1,600kg there is a lot of competition. For instance, a BMW i4 eDrive40 has a real-world range of 295 miles, chargers faster at up to 200kW and comes in at a cheaper price point of £51K. While the BMW i4 is not a raised up SUV Coupe its a grand coupe hatchback it actually provides more internal storage space than the C40 Recharge.
Then you have the Tesla Model Y, again lower towing capacity than the Volvo C40 Recharge at 1,600kg but a significantly better real-world range of 255 miles, much more internal storage space and faster DC charging along with access to the Tesla Supercharger network.
Volvo C40 Recharge Review
I’ve included below a review of the Volvo C40 Recharge from YesAuto UK. Now at the start of the video, the Audi Q4 E-Tron (1,200 kg towing capacity) and Mercedes EQA (750 kg towing capacity) are referenced as direct competition for the C40 Recharge. However, as you can see, when it comes to electric tow cars their not, hence why I didn’t reference them above.
As the review discusses, the sloping roofline on the C40 Recharge means less cargo space than the XC40 and notably less than many of its direct rivals. Hence, the more sporty styling of the C40 Recharge has come at the expense of practicality, there is also less head height for adults in the back.
My Thoughts On The Volvo C40 Recharge…
First the positives, I personally like how the C40 Recharge looks both inside and out. I also think Volvo make high-quality cars and use good quality materials. It features great performance, a reasonably competitive 150kW DC fast charging rate and a respectable 1,800kg towing capacity.
However, when spending at least £57K I would expect more real-world range than 210 miles. Its not that the C40 Recharge need a bigger battery (78kWh) its just not that efficient. When it comes to a compact SUV that has a similar towing capacity (1,600kg) even more performance from its AWD system but importantly more range, the obvious alternative is the Tesla Model Y.
Though not everyone wants a Tesla and they want to stick to established premium brands. Well, in that case, personally I would seriously consider the BMW i4 eDrive40. Yes its has a lower towing capacity (1,600kg) and RWD, not AWD, but the BMW has a real-world range of 85 miles more than the C40 Recharge and costs £6K less, that’s a significant difference.