Volvo EC40 Plus long-term test: this oldie is still a goldie

Verdict

The Volvo EC40 is a great-looking car that is relaxing to drive, with refreshingly simple tech. It doesn’t turn heads but generates positive comments, and gets better the longer you live with it. The interior should be a touch more premium for a car with a price tag in excess of £50,000, though.

• Efficiency: 3.4 miles/kWh
• Mileage: 4,708

I recently completed my annual pilgrimage to the Auto Express New Car Awards photoshoot and used the opportunity to grab a quick picture of our long-term EC40 test car beside Volvo’s award-winning EX30. 

The EX30 scooped the award for Best Small Premium SUV, and although it may be newer in terms of looks and tech, I’m still smitten with our older, bigger electric crossover. In fact, I enjoy its simplicity, comfort and practicality so much that I chose to drive the EC40 back and forth to the photoshoot rather than swap into any one of our award-winning cars. I’ve never done that before; I’d usually pick something else, so it’s high praise in itself. 

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I found the Volvo a comforting joy to drive both first thing in the morning and last thing at night (after very long days). Excellent and familiar navigation directions helped me, as did the easy one-touch controls on the steering wheel and touchscreen. 

After stints running previous New Car Award winners, including the latest MINI Countryman and our 2023 Car of the Year, the Hyundai Kona, I’d pick the Volvo EC40 as my own personal favourite long-term electric test car. I’m not suggesting it’s a better package than any our judging panel has selected over recent years, but it does fit me just about perfectly. That is something that has really come to light over the past six months and exactly what these reports are all about. 

I have absolute trust in the range display of the EC40. I’m running with about 255 miles per 90 per cent home charge, based on my average efficiency of 3.4 miles per kWh. Those figures are still improving after a stint using the simple and not too harsh one-pedal drive setting, which takes power directly from my braking back to the battery. 

But the climate control has been hit pretty hard in recent weeks with the need to cool the interior for my young grandchildren, so that will have taken the edge off my efficiency figures. The large sunroof probably adds to the heat, but I wouldn’t be without it, and even on the hottest days so far, the tinted glass seems to take out the worst of the glare.Speaking of summer, the better weather has seen the EC40 head out on more enjoyable roads towards the coast and countryside. 

Even at 50 per cent charge, there is little concern about getting to and from weekend destinations, even using the air-con. I’ve also found new and more picturesque routes out of South London, thanks to the intuitive nav system. The 404-litre boot has been fine in terms of throwing in buggies and bags for the family. I especially like the foldable floor space, where I have shopping bags stored along with the main charge cable.

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I also have room for picnic blankets, a small pop-up windbreak, some sand toys, sun hats and factor 50 lotion that sits there ready to go. The sizeable boot acts as a makeshift changing room for the younger children, but it should be noted that the raking roofline of the EC40 would inhibit loading bigger, boxier items without dropping the rear seats. I’ve also found the Volvo app really useful. 

I turn to it most for pre-heating or cooling the interior, but it’s also possible to lock the car with it. On the rare occasions that I have accidentally left the EC40 unlocked, I get sent a message directly to my smartphone from the app and can secure the car remotely.

Volvo EC40 Plus: second fleetwatch

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Clever load-through feature comes to the rescue for some unexpected furniture hauling

I haven’t been to the Alps for many years, but the ski hatch in our Volvo EC40 EV has come in very handy recently. I usually have two large Isofix-mounted child seats fitted in the back (although not in this picture for visibility). Removing and storing them is awkward, so being able to collect a long, flat-packed bookcase without having to take the kids’ chairs out and fold the 60:40-split rear seats was a blessing.

Volvo EC40 Plus: second report

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Our Swedish coupé-SUV excelled on a holiday to Yorkshire

• Mileage: 3,555
• Efficiency: 3.2miles/kWh

Of all the electric cars that I’ve tested, this Volvo seems to have finally killed off any lingering range anxiety. And the more I drive our EC40 the more I like it.

I’ve added a couple of thousand miles since my first report back in February, the majority of which have come via home charging using my 7.4kW charge port. I’ve heeded the in-car advice and limited the battery charge to 90 per cent. Based on my standard home electricity tariff of 27.03 pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh) a full home charge of the Volvo’s 75kWh battery (usable) would cost £18.24.

That gives me about 240 miles based on my average efficiency of 3.2 miles per kWh, although I’m increasingly aware that EV efficiency is a grey area and the key word is ‘average’; the EC40 is currently achieving far more than that figure. The weather is fine, the heating is off, but it’s not so hot as to require air-conditioning, so the EC40 is in a sweet spot in terms of power consumption.

Therefore every time I get in the car, the efficiency figure (shown in kWh per 100 miles) ticks down very slightly, and it will be interesting to see how low the figure drops before going the other way. It should also be noted that I haven’t turned up the brake regen for one-pedal driving because my wife hates it. But I will carry out a lengthy test before the next report to see what it adds to our range.

The time spent charging the car at home varies. Official figures suggest a full charge time of 12 hours, but I would rarely leave the Volvo below 20 per cent capacity (roughly 50 miles range) and often only charge to 70 per cent (approximately 200+ miles range). So the car might only be plugged in for five hours.

However, on a recent holiday to Yorkshire I realised how much more expensive it is to use the UK public charging network.

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One typical top-up at an MFG Power 150kW charge point in Lincolnshire took the EC40 from 18-70 per cent charge in around 31 minutes and the charging rate was at times in excess of 100kW (adding 323 miles per hour). That added 50.32kWh or 161 miles (based on 3.2mi/kWh) for £39.75 (79p per kWh).

While we were away, the EC40 was excellent. The simplicity of the infotainment and tech suits me perfectly, and it’s a comfortable, practical car with a smooth motorway ride.

I’ve spoken with colleagues about my love of Volvo and wondered if I’m the only one. Many of them have been behind the wheel of the latest models, including the EX90. Therefore, while they agree that our EC40 ticks many boxes, they feel the infotainment and screen size seem a little dated, as does the cabin.

Happy to be behind the curve, I’m still thoroughly impressed by the understated usability of the EC40’s tech. I have everything I need in simple graphic form, with clear nav instructions, including traffic-camera warnings, plus potential time-saving detours to avoid traffic hotspots, which are indicated as amber or red sections of road.

EV charge stations are displayed in icon form, along with the number of chargers and how many are free. It’s all so easy and with an excellent instrument display ahead of me, I barely have to take my eyes from the road.

Volvo EC40 Plus: first fleetwatch

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The Volvo EC40's smart navigation, charging information and speed camera warnings come in useful

The more time I spend behind the wheel of our Volvo EC40, the more I like its infotainment system. Navigation is clearly labelled on the 12.3-inch screen, and traffic hot-spots appear as red, with route variations and time savings marked. Charging stations are also indicated with the speed and number of chargers displayed, along with if they’re free or in use. I even get a warning for speed cameras and their location. Not that I’d ever require that function, of course. 

Volvo EC40 Plus: first report

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Does the Volvo EC40’s style get in the way of its substance? We find out as it joins our fleet

• Mileage: 1,504
• Efficiency: 2.7miles/kWh

I’ve switched one small premium electric SUV for another, as the Auto Express fleet waves goodbye to the MINI Countryman and says hello to the Volvo EC40. Eagle-eyed readers might have spotted both cars together in our car infotainment system mega-test. Both fared very well. More on that shortly.

First impressions of the Volvo have been positive. I really like the shape. It’s probably more of a coupé-crossover than an SUV but looks squat and safe, while retaining some stylish flowing lines. It looks like the kind of car that would fly down my Seventies Hot Wheels track if it were a model version of itself. What’s not to love about that?

The characteristic Volvo light detailing looks sharp, especially at the back, while the swooping black roof gives it a sporty feel, but hides the fact that it’s actually panoramic glass until you climb inside and see the light. The interior is good, too – very logically laid out, which suits me. The steering wheel controls are how I’d design them, and the driver’s display is fantastic. It is perfectly possible to follow sat-nav directions on that map and not look at the main nav screen at all. It sums up the whole system, really, which is very intuitive. One example is being able to find the option to reduce the brightness of the almost-blinding interior lighting with two touches of the main screen. I’ve also found phone pairing and setting up my Google account and Spotify playlists straightforward.

My first shift at the wheel of the EC40 was a 70-mile January night trip on the M2/A2 coming into London in the rain at rush hour. Having not driven a Volvo since a stint in a long-term S90 about 10 years ago, that could have presented a steep learning curve, but I had no problems working out the heating controls, navigation or music while on the move. The journey was smooth and enjoyable, and illustrated why the Volvo came fourth in our recent touchscreen test. Incidentally it was pipped by the third-placed MINI, although I’d rate the Volvo over the MINI system for simplicity, if not functionality.

Where the Volvo can’t touch the MINI is interior build quality. The EC40 looks and feels a bit dated by comparison. The plastics are hard and some of the central console storage bins make little sense to me.

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Unsurprisingly, the seats are comfortable and supportive, but lack the MINI’s massage option. Volvo’s audio system is also good, but noticeably not as strong as the MINI’s Harman Kardon set-up (it really is all about the bass). To get a similar set-up in the EC40 from the same maker, I’d have to upgrade to Ultra trim.

Whenever I take custody of a new car, I like to drive it for a while without knowing how much it costs. So, based on interior finish and tech alone, I’d expect the Volvo to be cheaper than the Countryman, but I was surprised to learn that spec for spec, it isn’t. The Countryman SE JCW costs £56,200 with all the bells and whistles. The EC40 is £54,305 for just the 78kWh Single Motor Extended Range.

It’s probably worth noting a few early gripes at this point, too. The reversing camera isn’t great, again suffering in comparison to the MINI’s excellent 360-degree system. Unfortunately, it’s needed because the rear visibility is awful. However, that’s about all I’ve got to moan about so far.

The Volvo has been fine to drive. It’s not especially quick, but motorway journeys have been particularly relaxing. An economy figure of 2.7 miles per kWh may sound disappointing, but I’m finally getting my head around the mid-winter effect on electric cars. The EC40 has been driven with the heating on ever since delivery, and I’m sure the efficiency will improve with the weather. Likewise, the overall suggested range comes in at around 280 miles in the current conditions, and worth noting is that the EC40’s winter figure is greater than the MINI Countryman SE’s predicted summer figure of 265 miles.

A UK driving holiday in March will give me the ability to explore those figures further.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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