[Sig]

I've had my 2023 XC40 Recharge for nearly two weeks now. Overall, love the vehicle. But as a first-time Volvo, and EV, owner, I'm still getting accustomed to some quirks and have stumbled across a few things that strike me as odd. I had them all compiled in a single "My First Impressions" topic, but for some reason I still don't understand, every time I attempt to post that, it seems to be getting rejected by the forum/moderator. In any event, here is quirk #1 for your consideration/comment (hoping this manages to show up in the forum)...

No range next to battery gauge (my greatest annoyance)...I took me about a day to realize the battery gauge in the main instrument cluster doesn't include a range indicator. I poked around in the settings thinking I had missed something. I then contacted Volvo support and, according to them, the range used to be below the battery gauge but was removed with software update 2.4 due to customer feedback that the display was "too busy." Huh? I drove a lot of EVs when I was car shopping, and all of them had a range indicator either next to or near the battery gauge in the main instrument cluster. So, I need to look over at the Range Assistant in the center display to get that info which (a) assumes that was the last app I used in that tile section and I don't have to open the apps screen and select it; and (b) takes up one of my precious four Home Screen tile positions full time - how unnecessary. This makes no sense to me. Even more baffling...immediately to the left of the battery gauge is the trip odometer which you can switch on/off. It is a two-line display, so clearly there is plenty of screen real estate to support a second line below the battery gauge with the range. Why did they think that was too busy, but the trip odometer was fine? VOLVO - if you read these posts, PLEASE let us have a range indicator under the battery gauge again!

 

[jay_man2]

Meh. Just multiply the battery percentage by 2 to get a range estimate.

 

[Voltvo]

Yea I am also annoyed by the lack of the range indicator. I know why they did it; because estimating a range with a full battery requires assuming future driving conditions and an 80mph highway road trip is not going to be the same as going around town to run errands. It's still annoying though that it seems like every other car (EV or ICE) has some sort of range estimate that isn't hidden away in a menu.

Also, you might not yet have encountered it, but when you get below 20ish% a range estimate will pop up and tell you in 5 mile chunks how much range you have left. I think it starts at 30 or 50 miles.

 

[Sig]

Ah, ok. Good to know about 20% threshold. I haven't actually let the car discharge below that level yet. And I do get that range estimates are based on a lot of variables. But at the very least, show the Range Assistant value in the display, even if it has a little "Estimated" disclaimer next to it. It's the reason they gave me - display is too busy - that really baffles me. I'm now thinking the real reason they disabled it was complaints from owners that the range values weren't 100% accurate. But then why is it still in the primary instrument cluster on the Polestar 2?

 

[Wiverson]

I get range from the Google Maps destination, actually useful as it includes a lot more data in the calculation. A dumb multiplier on the battery capacity would be useless and potentially dangerous IMHO.

 

[SagaPer]

The built-in app Range Extender in the center display shows you a "guess" on range based on your earlier driving pattern.

 

[VolvoElectric]

I enjoy Volvo’s minimalistic approach to this vehicle, especially the instrumentation. If I need range approximation data I will simply ask Google.

 

[bogiesan]

You should have stopped by here for several weeks before you ordered the car. And kept reading while you were awaiting delivery. You are in for many fun surprises and frustrating disappointments. Judging by the titles of your other posts, perhaps you should negotiate a return if the car. You may deeply resent the little car forever.

 

[Astus]

I note a number of complaints in the last bit about your Volvo. Many of these issues can be sorted out if you had a proper hand over with the dealer with a few follow up questions or better initial research before you bought the car. As the previous poster suggested perhaps selling your car and finding one that doesn't irk you so much is the best course of action. Tesla and there no button quality issues await life to short move on.

 

[Sig]

You should have stopped by here for several weeks before you ordered the car. And kept reading while you were awaiting delivery. You are in for many fun surprises and frustrating disappointments. Judging by the titles of your other posts, perhaps you should negotiate a return if the car. You may deeply resent the little car forever.

No, no. Not at all. My posts are obviously focusing on the little things I’m discovering about the car, but I’m very happy with it overall. My other vehicle is a Range Rover and I drove exclusively Mercedes vehicles for 25 years before that so, believe me, I have a high tolerance for little quirks with a car I enjoy driving and feels like a solid machine. I’m also just making sure I haven’t missed any tricks by sharing this with more experienced owners.

 

[Sig]

I note a number of complaints in the last bit about your Volvo. Many of these issues can be sorted out if you had a proper hand over with the dealer with a few follow up questions or better initial research before you bought the car. As the previous poster suggested perhaps selling your car and finding one that doesn't irk you so much is the best course of action. Tesla and there no button quality issues await life to short move on.

Wow, I seem to have struck a nerve or something. Now I’m being told I should’ve done better research and maybe I ought to return my car. I thought this was a friendly forum to share thoughts, experiences and information about these vehicles. 😐

I’ll refrain from future posts and just be a “reader” instead, I suppose.

 

[f1geek]

I think you have brought up fair points.
I own an XC40 Recharge because my wife liked it best out of new EVs. I would have chosen one with V to L, ISO 15118 Plug&Charge, more efficiency, faster charging, and cheaper tires. That being said, it is a nice car, and better than my e-Golf in many ways (but not in every way). Even though I did not choose this car, I want to understand it, which is why I visit this forum and it is good for people to ask questions so anyone reading here can learn.

 

[BruinToo]

Volvo's AAOS based instrument cluster display leaves a lot to be desired. It's too simple and cannot be customized. I got used to it. I came from a Jaguar I-PACE.

 

[improvius]

I'm fine with having it displayed on the center console. It's usually just a button press away if I want to see it.

 

[Greg S]

I think the battery SOC % is most important, as it is more or less accurate regardless of your driving conditions. If they put a range estimate there below it at all times (like they do when the range gets down to about 50 km/30 mi or less) then it would probably be changing all the time based on the prior maybe 10 km/15 mi of driving. If it says your range is 100 km, and you've just been down a huge mountain and you're about to go up another huge mountain, what would you do? That 100 km range might be based on a very efficient downhill run, and you may run out of battery in 30 km if you start going uphill? So yeah, I think it's better to monitor the battery SOC % and use the built-in Google Maps range estimate at your destination as it is quite accurate, and is based on speed limits, elevation changes, etc. My 2 cents...

 

[f1geek]

My e-Golf show analog SoC but has a GOM. I like both. I agree GOM is based on recent driving but if your recent driving is consistent (say a flat road at highway speed), then GOM is pretty accurate.

 

[Sig]

My e-Golf show analog SoC but has a GOM. I like both. I agree GOM is based on recent driving but if your recent driving is consistent (say a flat road at highway speed), then GOM is pretty accurate.

Yeah, so in my case, my vehicle is used 90% for around-town driving for errands & day-to-day stuff. I don't commute, and I rarely take road trips out of town. Therefore, my terrain and driving style/behaviour is pretty consistent. At a minimum, I would think at least an option/setting to display the remaining range (with all the caveats re: estimate/driving conditions) would be available, given that seems to be provided in virtually every other EV, rather that just eliminating it altogether.

With that said, I appreciate all the responses/feedback. This will just be one of those things I'll need to grow accustomed to unless/until Volvo might re-think this. And as @Greg S suggests, if/when I do take a real road trip, where range becomes much more important, I'll rely on Google Maps to help me out with that.

 

[DcinBC]

Yeah, so in my case, my vehicle is used 90% for around-town driving for errands & day-to-day stuff. I don't commute, and I rarely take road trips out of town. Therefore, my terrain and driving style/behaviour is pretty consistent. At a minimum, I would think at least an option/setting to display the remaining range (with all the caveats re: estimate/driving conditions) would be available, given that seems to be provided in virtually every other EV, rather that just eliminating it altogether.

With that said, I appreciate all the responses/feedback. This will just be one of those things I'll need to grow accustomed to unless/until Volvo might re-think this. And as @Greg S suggests, if/when I do take a real road trip, where range becomes much more important, I'll rely on Google Maps to help me out with that.

1. “Hey Google, what is my range?”
2. Use the Range Assistant, which will also tell you that average range calculations are a joke, given how much your consumption varies from standstill to a steady cruise. Average range only makes sense on a trip, not so much around town.
3. On a trip, plug the destination in, which will give you a good indicator of how much is left in the battery. Plus it varies as you encounter major climbs and descents.
4. I too owned a JLR product for many years, with all their quirks. The difference is that the electronics seem to settle down once you’ve had the car a while and you’ve grown used to each other. But whereas owning a Range Rover is a bit like having a very elegant but irritable cart horse, the Volvo is more a machine. The mechanical bits like the One Pedal Drive, response and so on are, to me, sublime, while the computer side of things can seem inscrutable when they don’t seem to work. But at least you get an update that fixes and improves things every so often. Hang in there, the fun is just beginning!

 

[ColoradoNative]

I recently drove 35 miles with 7% SoC and the car predicting at the most 15 miles remaining.

Until they start building an AI into the car that takes my route and traffic and weather and road conditions and my driving style and whatever else affects range into consideration, a Guess-o-Meter is only of casual value. However, with practice my brain has become better at taking all those things into consideration, and making a pretty good estimate of my how far I can get based on the SoC.

FWIW, I was driving mostly downhill out of the mountains, and I made it home with 2% remaining. I didn't plan it that way, but ChargePoint forced my hand by taking the only two DC Fast chargers along my 96-mile route offline at the same time. There was definitely some range anxiety!