Volvo EC40 long-term test: report 1

The Volvo EC40 is a stylish and all-electric take on one of our favourite cars: the Volvo XC40. But what’s it like to live with? Our used cars editor is finding out...

Published01 November 2024

The car Volvo EC40 Plus, single motor extended range Run by Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Why it’s here To see if this suave and upmarket coupé SUV can cut it against several similar electric car rivals in this highly competitive class

Needs to It’ll need to dispatch commuting, work and family life without any range anxiety issues and cope with a wide variety of everyday duties

Miles covered 298 Price £54,305 Target price £52,167 Price as tested £55,055 Official range 345 miles Test range 260 miles Options 20in Black Diamond Cut alloy wheels (£750)

1 November 2024 - Welcome to my EC rider

Putting your money where your mouth is a familiar expression, yet you don’t actually get to do it very often. Just such an opportunity recently arose for me, though.

You see, as used cars editor, I was recently happy to oversee one of our favourite family SUVs, the Volvo XC40, being crowned our Used Car of the Year. And no sooner had I dispatched that duty than I took delivery of my brand-new Volvo EC40 – a sharply styled, all-electric car derived from the XC40.

Derived? Let me explain. The 2020 XC40 Recharge was the first all-electric XC40. Then, a couple of years later, it gained a swoopy, duck-tailed coupé SUV sibling called the C40 Recharge. And that's essentially what I've got, except a recent change in Volvo’s naming procedure means it’s now known as the EC40 rather than the C40.

I like the way it looks – so much so that I was prepared to stick my neck out and go for this coupé SUV over the regular SUV even though it means putting up with a little less rear head room. I'll let you know in a future report whether my passengers turn out to be quite so forgiving.

Of the versions available, I’ve opted for the 252bhp single-motor model. This is rear-wheel drive (there’s also a dual-motor car with four-wheel drive), and seems more than quick enough for my needs; it can polish off the 0-62mph sprint in just 6.9sec before dashing up to its limited top speed of 112mph.

To be more specific, my car is the single-motor extended-range model, which swaps the standard car’s 66kWh battery for a 78kWh (75kWh usable) one. This boosts the official range from 302 miles to 345 miles, and for someone like me who doesn't like using public chargers, that’s an uptick that's worth the relatively small (£1800) premium.

The Plus trim I’ve chosen is well-equipped. My car gets a heat pump, heated front and rear seats, dual-zone climate control and a powered tailgate with gesture control. On top of that, there’s a large panoramic sunroof that helps brighten up the otherwise dark interior, adaptive cruise control and a semi-autonomous driving function that can steer, accelerate and brake for you in certain situations (although your hands must always be on the wheel).

I’ve chosen sage green for the paintwork, a classy colour which seems to chime perfectly with the EC40’s premium image. I’ve also been a bit naughty and added 20in five-spoke alloys in place of the standard 19in wheels for a cost of £750.

Previous experience with the C40 has shown us that the car rides a little better on the smaller 19in wheels, but while studying graphic representations of the car on its various wheel options on the online configurator, I felt that the 20in wheels filled the arches with more verve, and before I knew it, I'd found myself ticking the box.

My car comes in at just under £55,000, which isn't cheap. However, it is around £3000 less than I’d have paid if I’d gone for the dual-motor car, and is roughly on a par with rivals like the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and Skoda Enyaq Coupé.

If I’ve been led astray by my eyes to the detriment of my spine with those larger wheels I will let you know, but one thing that's entirely positive so far is the attention my EC40 is getting. Family and friends have already commented admiringly on its looks, with one or two specifically praising its handsome alloys.

My first interaction with the car involved setting things up just-so on the tablet-style touchscreen. This is quite large, at 9.0in, but some of the icons on it (and there are many) are rather small for a bat-eyed person like me – especially if I happen to be wearing the wrong glasses at the time. There is the option to use Apple CarPlay, though, via a wire, which should make things a little easier.

So I've put my money where my mouth is and, if we ignore my eyes, so far it's all good news.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here