Volvo EC40 Review (2024-present)

What is the Volvo EC40?

The artist formerly known as the Volvo C40, that’s what. Why the name change? Well, with the arrival of the Swedish automotive company’s newer electric SUVs, the teeny new Volvo EX30 and gargantuan Volvo EX90, a new naming convention for such cars emerged, into which the existing C40 and the XC40 did not fit. So, as of April 2024, the electric versions of the XC40 were rechristened as the Volvo EX40 (confusingly, the Volvo XC40 name remains for combustion-engined versions), while the C40 became the EC40.

The ‘C’ bit in EC40 signifies that this is a slinkier coupe-style crossover SUV that majors more on style than ruggedness: not that there’s much ruggedness about any of Volvo’s SUV offerings, mind. Unsurprisingly, it shares its platform with the electric XC40 - sorry, EX40!!! - and also the Polestar 2 from its sister luxury brand.

It’s available in a variety of different specs, with various power outputs, battery sizes and driving ranges. It competes with other style-led electric premium SUV offerings such as the Audi Q4 E-Tron Sportback, BMW iX2 and electric Mini Countryman, while less premium marques such as Citroen (e-C4X), Kia (EV6) and Hyundai (Ioniq 5) also offer alternatives that arguably provide as much style for less cash. There are also stylish electric SUV alternative such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Skoda Enyaq Coupe, that are considerably bigger, but similar on price.

How practical is it?

Inside, the EC40 delivers a beautifully comfortable driving position, a well thought-through layout and a generally impressive level of build quality, even if the outright plushness isn't quite up there with that of the Mercedes EQA or BMW iX2. There are some cute design touches, too, which include a backlit dash design that mirrors topographical maps of mountains in northern Sweden, and a blue carpet made from recycled plastic bottles that echoes the interiors of Volvos from the 70s and 80s.

Space in the front seats is great, and rear legroom is fine, but unfortunately, the more raked roofline compared with the EX40 hurts rear headroom a little – six-footers will just about fit, but they’ll feel very hemmed-in – and the view out through the rear window could be described as letter box-like at best, abysmal at worst. At 404 litres, the boot is rather average for the class, but is significantly smaller than those of quite a few rivals including the Volkswagen ID.4. There’s a 31-litre frunk for keeping your charging cables in, though.

The 9.3-inch portrait-aspect touchscreen infotainment system will at first glance be familiar to anyone who’s spent time in a new-ish Volvo from the late 2010s onwards. But in fact this is one of the C40’s star turns, as there’s a whole new operating system, developed with Google. And it’s basically ace. It’s kept healthy and current via over-the-air updates, runs the latest Google maps and you can download countless apps via Google Play. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are present and correct, but the latter wasn’t always, being added later via an over-the-air update. If buying a used EC40 or C40, it’s worth double-checking that this update has been applied. If we’re being picky, the absence of physical buttons or rotary dials on the dashboard isn’t ideal, because using a touchscreen on the move draws your eyes from the road, but the screen itself is responsive and effectively lag-free.

What’s it like to drive?

There are three separate flavours of EC40 to choose from. The entry-level Single Motor model has, as the name suggests, a single motor powertrain delivering 235bhp to the rear wheels (yes, it’s rear-wheel drive while most conventional SUVs of this size are front-wheel drive) for a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds. It’s fed by a 69kWh battery pack, giving a WLP range of up to 300 miles.

Then there’s the Single Motor Extended Range version. This has a slightly bigger 78kWh battery for a range of up to 346 miles, and it also has slightly more power at 249bhp. However, power makes much less difference to acceleration as torque does in a car like this, and that’s identical to the entry-level car’s at 420Nm, so its 0-62mph sprint time is actually identical.

At the top of the range sits the Dual Motor version. This adds a second motor to the front axle to give all-wheel drive, which boosts the combined power output right up to 402bhp, and the torque up to 670Nm. The 0-62mph dash is seen off in a non-trivial 4.7 seconds, although just like in the other two versions, top speed is limited to 112mph.

The Dual Motor is the only version we’ve tried, and if anything, the performance on hand is even more explosive than the numbers suggest. With all that instantly available torque and no gearbox to stand in the way of its delivery, there’s a thumping surge of forward motion variable with the merest flex of your right ankle. For ultimate performance, you can add an optional performance pack upgrade for Twin Motor, which boosts the power to 436bhp. We’ve not tried a car with this fitted yet, but given how quick it is in its standard form, we really can’t see the point. We also don’t know what effect it would have on the range of the Twin Motor, which in its standard form, stands at 340 miles from its 82kWh battery.

Given the devastating pace on offer, it might perhaps be a bit surprising to hear that the EC40 is generally quite a laid-back car to drive in other ways. The car rides superbly, even on the biggest 20-inch wheels, soaking up bumps in the road in a deeply impressive manner, so you’re always kept comfortable and relaxed. The car is naturally very quiet, too, eve on the motorway, while the light-yet responsive steering and effortless performance contribute further to the car’s chilled-out nature. The car doesn’t feel as sharp in the corners as some rivals, with a bit more body lean to be felt, but many customers would prefer a comfy ride over sporty handling anyway, and the AWD of the Twin Motor car we tried ensures plentiful grip and traction.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

There are two trim levels, Plus and Ultra, both of which are tremendously well equipped. The core Plus version certainly feel entry-level, coming with a standard heat pump, two-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a reversing camera, front- and rear parking sensors, powered door mirrors, 19-inch alloy wheels, a fixed panoramic roof, keyless entry, a hands-free power tailgate, a powered driver’s seat, plus heated front- and rear seats. You also get Volvo’s full suite of safety kit and autonomous driver aids, while both versions get the same Google-based infotainment system we mentioned earlier, which also features wireless phone charging.

The Ultra version upgrades the eight-speaker stereo to a 13-speaker Harman Kardon Premium audio system. You also get larger 20-inch alloys, a powered passenger seat, pixel LED headlamps with cleaners, 360-degree cameras and side parking sensors, different recycled textile upholstery, and power folding rear head restraints. That’s quite a lot, but then it will cost you around £5,000 more.

Volvo EC40 running costs

Whichever version of the EC40 you pick, you’ll be paying upwards of £50,000 for a brand new car. It’s not a cheap option, then, but to be fair, you wouldn’t expect it to be when it’s a style-focused all-electric SUV with a premium badge and a heaving equipment list. It doesn’t look outrageously expensive compared with its direct rivals, either.

Running costs shouldn’t be too hefty, either. The 69kWh battery of the Single Motor variant gives you a WLTP range of around 300 miles, while the 78kWh item in the Single Motor Extended Range gives an official figure of 346 miles. The Dual Motor’s battery is bigger still at 82kWh, but this version’s more prodigious power sees the official range drop to 340 miles.

Charge your car at home on electricity priced at the national average for domestic power (currently around 28p/kW), and it’ll cost around £18 for a full charge of the Single Motor, £21 for the Extended Range and £22 for the Twin Motor. If you organise it so that you can make use of cheaper overnight charging on off-peak tariffs, and you can easily cut those costs in half. By contrast, using public DC rapid chargers will probably cost twice the domestic figure, and maybe even more.

All versions of the EC40 come with a standard heat pump to make the most of their electric range in cold weather. That’s good, as not all electric cars are so generous.

Volvo EC40 reliability

One of the appealing aspects of an electric car is its mechanical simplicity; there are far fewer moving parts in an electric motor than with an internal combustion engine and there’s no gearbox, either, so there’s a lot less to go wrong. Electric cars wear out components like brakes more slowly, too.

Its battery systems should be robust and dependable, too. Volvo – like most other makers of modern electric cars – works hard to carefully manage the temperature of the lithium-ion battery so that its capacity doesn’t degrade too much over time. For example, the batteries will be pre-conditioned by the car’s electronic brain to ensure that they are in the optimum state to receive charge if you enter a public charging station as a destination in the car's satnav.

In terms of the car’s performance in reliability surveys, it hasn’t yet featured in the ones we usually look at. However, the heavily related XC40 did feature in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, albeit not in electric-only Volvo XC40 Recharge form. Nevertheless, in a class of 34 entries in the Family SUV category, the XC40 came in 22nd place when fitted with a petrol engine, seventh when fitted with a diesel, while the PHEV version took 4th place in the class, being beaten only by perennial table-toppers, Lexus. We’d say that bodes fairly well for the reliability of the EC40.

In terms of warranty, the EC40 is covered for three years or 60,000 miles, although the battery’s warranty is eight years and 100,000 miles.