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XC40 Recharge - New Owners

107K views 660 replies 68 participants last post by  Jezza 
#1 ·
New thread for owners to discuss driving experience / challenges with the 2021 XC40 Recharge.
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am not getting the "car not parked" warning. But my car is stuck on KPH most of the time and does not show any trip info (including the kwh/100miles). Occasionally it will randomly show MPH and then a usage of 30-40kwh/100miles.

At 75mph steady driving at 65 degrees F we are getting a range of about 175 miles for 90% of battery.

Did a round trip yesterday of 138 miles all at about 70-75 mph and got home with 18% (starting with 89%)

So basically I wont plan anything more than 175 miles at speed. But if I drove slower it would get closer to advertised distance I think. Also we have the roof racks with large pads for paddle boards that probably affect mileage also.

I have no idea how far we have actually driven the car since i cant find an Odometer or the Trip info when its on KPH.

Expecting this to be fixed by dealer later or by software update so not going to worry about it now.

The google maps is easy to use and will quickly tell you the battery life you will have when you arrive at your destination.

This system works well and seems to underestimate by about 3%. For me this quick voice entry of your destination eliminates some of the "range anxiety". The locations of chargers seems to work perfectly also, but you need to do your homework as some private gated chargers are also shown.

Most of the time this car is just my wife's daily runabout car and she absolutely loves it. 150 miles is a long day of running around so she has never had a range issue.

The music apps are working great and Harmon sound system is nice. Interesting that there is no AM radio. But with Iheart and other apps its not an issue. The seats fold flat enough to get a full size bike in the back easily, nice for such a small SUV.

Hopefully the Volvo on Call app will be working soon so we can schedule re-charging for late night.
 
#4 ·
My only complaint is that we don't have an app right now. Does anyone have any details other than "Spring 2021"?
Not helpful beyond what you said.. but this is what the dealer I asked said: "I spoke with the people at Volvo on Call and confirmed with them that the accident notification or SOS button on the car is active and ready to use in the event of an emergency it will automatically activate in the event of an accident. The on call application for the recharge has not been launched yet and will not be ready just yet. I was told that the ETA would coincide with the arrival of all stock units in early spring of 2021."
 
#5 ·
I’ve test driven twice and noticed there is a setting for max charge rate which tops out at 48 amps. I’m looking to install an EVSE and am deciding between ‘smart’ and basic. We have time of day electrical service so charging at night is a requirement. I don’t recall seeing a setting for this in the car - did I miss it?
 
#7 ·
On the XC40 Recharge FaceBook group and in this Volvo forum:


There is lots of discussion of the “Week 5” XC40 recharge software update - I think released early feb 2021. People are saying that this has lots of stability improvements and some even report better range. Evidently, this update has to be installed by the dealer.

Anyone with XC40 recharge in US had this update installed yet? Reports?
 
#10 ·
I just go a note from Volvo - had my VIN weeks ago. The car has landed in Port Hueneme, however they are not releasing it to the dealer until the solve the app and software update. They would give no timeline.
So I guess I lucked out by getting one that the dealer had. Crazy, but I'm glad they're trying to get the app working. It really is the worst thing about this car because manually preconditioning becomes a chore. Fingers crossed you guys get your XC soon.
 
#21 ·
As reported by Volvo owners support portal, it looks like there's some progress with software updates of cars stuck in ports (OTA?). Here is the latest on our car currently at the port of Halifax, Canada:

Software (Updated 3/10/2021)

Updates from and including March 2021 (2104.1)
  • Improvements in estimated range.
  • Stability improvements for AC charging.
  • Radio: linking between FM and DAB for a seamless sound experience. (Note: favorite stations will be deleted and need to be reset).
  • Harman Kardon Premium Audio: improved surround sound.
  • More vehicle settings and improved settings for driver profiles.
  • Climate timers: stability improvements.
  • 360°-view of Park Assist Cameras: quality and stability improvements.
  • Bluetooth telephony: function and stability improvements.
  • OTA quality and stability improvements.
 
#22 ·
I ended up going with Grizzle-E and would have been happy with their Classic ‘non-smart’ model but they are about to release a Smart version that will ship in a week or two. It wasn’t much more $ and offers OCPP compatibility as well as Wi-Fi.

About a month or so ago I called Volvo US in NJ to ask about the ChargePoint relationship and what that meant. They had no information then and haven’t been of much help since. Local dealer is well intentioned but clueless as well. If I knew the ChargePoint would be available at a discount I might have waited but at least this way I’ll have it done before I get the car.

I used to work in IT and conceptually understand the complexities and contingency planning involved in large scale rollouts. I’m guessing they want to see how how Europe goes in order to finalize their NA schedule. Perhaps they don’t want to offer a target date and then have to roll it back. Maybe they’re waiting on Google and aren’t getting info from them. Maybe they’re just incompetent.

Whatever the reason it’s a poor way to treat existing and potential customers.
 
#24 ·
I'm just surprised Volvo didn't do a "Pilot VIP" group of a few owners who had reservations across NA and touch base with them throughout and figure out what questions they had ahead of the larger rollout and actually do this right. I swear all these issues are avoidable with proper planning. And yes IT background here too, been working at SaaS software and I swear this is Customer Success 101.
 
#26 ·
I have been looking at the Volvo Recharge for some time. I recently went to a Volvo dealer who was willing to sell me the dealer demo that was on the lot. I was surprised as other Volvo dealers would not sell the on site car, but this dealer had the silver in stock, the color I wanted, and made a deal.

I realize that the car does not have the OTA software upgrade, but everything is working and a VIN check shows no recalls.

So, I purchased the demo car, less than 200 miles. A slight discount and I have been driving it for the past week.

I am a new owner with the car.

Other than not having the Volvo ON CALL app, there is no Sirius radio app.

I have been using Google Auto to stream from my cell phone where i have the app installed.

And, I love the car.
 
#27 ·
My P-8 should have landed in Port Hueneme two weeks ago, although I haven't had confirmation of that from Volvo. My NHTSA VIN check shows 0 uncompleted recalls, so I think they must have already fixed it at the port. My dealer hasn't let me know that or said if/when they have the car yet. FWIW, I was also an early adopter of the Nissan Leaf, and similar rollout problems happened then. It seems it takes a couple of years on a brand new model, at least a brand new EV from a company that hasn't been doing them for years. The selling online thing is new, too. I can tell you that I had a 1999 Volvo C-70 for years and loved it. The local dealers and other mechanics were very competent and honest. I think Volvo is doing the best they can but they have Google and Lear to deal with, too. Lear is the company that made the chip that is subject to the recall.
 
#28 ·
Yes, this recall has either been completed already or did not apply to those vehicles that indicate "0 Uncompleted Recalls". Here is the original recall as logged in the Transport Canada recall database (which mirrors the NHTSA recalls):
  • On certain XC40 Recharge models, a software problem could cause the Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) to reset. This can cause the high voltage system to disconnect while driving. If this happens, there could be a sudden loss of power to the wheels.
  • Safety Risk: A loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash.
  • Corrective Actions: Volvo will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to update vehicle software.
 
#34 · (Edited by Moderator)
Reminder - before you take delivery of your car check if your state has any incentives or exceptions.
At least here in New Jersey, the dealership just needs to complete an additional form and there is no sales tax on the purchase.

And don't forget for the 2021 tax filing next year, IRS Form 8936 will add on the credit for the Volvo XC40 Recharge purchase at the $7,500 amount.
 
#39 · (Edited by Moderator)
For me, this is a bit of deja vu. I was among the very first Nissan Leaf owners. I pre-ordered just like with the XC40 . There are pros and cons with with being the first. I'll share a bit of my "beta" Leaf experience for what it's worth.

The pros: having the car and not having to wait years for any kinks to be worked out! That's huge. EVs are extremely reliable and maintenance free. In 10 years I've never had a mechanical issue and never gone to a gas station. I've bought tires, windshield wiper blades and put in windshield washer fluid. That's about it for service. Fuel (electricity) is cheap since PG&E has a reduced EV rate, especially when charging at night. The motor responsiveness is great. Around here (Bay Area, CA) my EV sticker allowed me in the car pool lane driving solo, although those stickers are now expired. I don't know if new vehicles get that privilege again. EV's are quiet and handle easily. I've never regretted buying the Leaf, but it is showing signs of age and some "beta" problems. BTW, I loved the Volvo C70 I sold when buying the Leaf, but it was time for it to go. It made me a Volvo fan and is part of the reason I'm going for the XC40.

The cons: The biggest one for an EV is that batteries degrade and the range gets progressively shorter. It's down to about 45 miles practically speaking now. I knew that going in, but I didn't realize how inconvenient and slow public charging is. Don't expect to be able to pop into a charging station and fill up like you do with a gas car. Charging stations then were unreliable and often full if they worked. There are many more out there now, so it's not like you're likely to get stranded, but EVs really don't work well for long drives, even with "fast" charging.

On the plus side, I realized I really don't need to go 90+ miles very often. The half a dozen times in the last 10 years, I've taken my wife's Acura. Problem solved. Rent a gas car if you need to. Apart from limited range, some bad design issues on the first model were an inadequate heater, a too short sun visor, and reliance on AT&T for Carwings (like Volvo On Call). The Leaf was an all-new chassis and interior design, so the visor and similar interior issues are not something likely Volvo would fail on since the XC40 uses an established body design. I expect the interior to be first-class. I made sure of that on my test drive.

The heater shouldn't be a problem with Volvo's heated seats (and for some, steering wheel), but it is not a trivial matter. Without an internal combustion engine heating has to come from electricity - either the traction battery or a plug. Carwings worked great at first, allowing remote starting of the heater so that you could warm it up before getting in. If it was plugged in, either at work or home, the power came from the plug, not the battery, so you didn't reduce your range. But that ability depended on AT&T's 2G network which after a few years was discontinued. CarWings is essentially defunct now, at least for the 2011 cars. I hope Volvo has learned from Nissan's experience and designed an On Call system that will work with any cellular technology and can be upgraded when necessary.

Other shortcomings were mainly because Nissan was going for the economy market and reducing or removing many things (e.g. motors for seats, moon roof, etc.) to lose weight in exchange for lower cost and greater range. Volvo hasn't made those compromises. One other warning: the range displays are not very accurate, hence the term guess-o-meter (GOM). Don't try to see how far you can go on a single charge until you've gotten a good confidence level on being able to judge when you need to get juice. AAA or a tow truck can't charge it up for you. They'll tow it to the dealer, that's all.

I think Volvo's main display just shows bars left, not miles left, but the infotaintment systent will compute range for what it's worth. Consider it a GOM. Range depends on driving style, weather, traffic conditions, etc., so be careful. The 20 miles you have left may be only 18 in reality.
 
#40 ·
Hi friends, with the stop sale over, I was able to pick up my demo unit from the dealer yesterday. This unit has been updated software wise, so it should be identical to what is coming out of port. Here are my first thoughts
  1. Android Automotive is bleeding edge and I suspect plenty of bugs are going to crop up. I was able to find one that involved adding my Google Assistant personalization settings and two factor authentication.
  2. Despite point number one, I think most non-power users/techies will never use Android Auto or CarPlay with this. The integrated maps is just really good, includes offline map downloads, and the voice controls for it work well. There will be quibbles about media playback, ie is your app of choice supported natively but I would imagine Android Automotive will update those before CarPlay or Android Auto are supported. So yeah, I think folks are going to pop their phone on the wireless charger and keep going.
  3. As noted elsewhere, don't expect most dealerships/sales folks to know anything terrible useful about the car. A Not so funny story, I still haven't sorted out how to change the speedometer from KM to Miles...
  4. Coming from my Forester XT, which was essentially a big bodied WRX, with the more aggressive steering controls turned on recharge, I don't feel like the handling is in any way "too soft."
  5. This thing is stupid fast. I am struggling to understand why there isn't an "economy" mode where you trade some of the acceleration for better range. Don't get me wrong, I live in Philadelphia, we have tons of suicide ramps, so I love it for those merges. However for longer drives I could lose 20% of my acceleration and still better faster than most cars.
  6. There was a YouTube video where they did an economy test with one pedal driving and without one pedal driving and they claimed the results were the same. I suspect that would be true with highway and town driving. But in a city with stop signs/lights at every intersection, doubt that is true. The regen braking in one pedal is just so aggressive, even with a really light/nimble foot.
Outside of that, it's a great crossover, the safety systems all seem to be effective without getting in the way of driving, great seats/adjustability, and a nice interior that feels super low key. Coming from a Subaru I feel very at home, if maybe a little bit more grown up ;)
 
#41 ·
  1. This thing is stupid fast. I am struggling to understand why there isn't an "economy" mode where you trade some of the acceleration for better range. Don't get me wrong, I live in Philadelphia, we have tons of suicide ramps, so I love it for those merges. However for longer drives I could lose 20% of my acceleration and still better faster than most cars.
Congrats! Just over in Jersey side of New Hope here. Excited to get my custom order soon. And agree on technology folks not having issues with settings and customizations.
 
#49 ·
Wireless charging pad question.

Just picked up our Recharge from the dealer today. When I put iPhone 12 on wireless charging pad, it cycles between starting the charge and then losing the connection. I've tried different spots on the pad with no luck. Seems like incompatibility between pad and iPhone.

Any better experiences out there?
 
#53 ·
I took delivery of my P8 yesterday and I'm already having problems. One of the big draws of the car was its sound system, only I can't find a way to play my music. I have all my music as mp3s or WMA files on a USB thumb drive. My USB drive has only a USB-A connector while the car requires only a C so I bought an adapter and plugged in the drive. I expected it to show up in with the apps, but it doesn't. Apparently those USB-C ports are only for charging. I can't find anything in the manual or in reviews about playing music from the USB. The dealer specifically told me I could play my music from a USB thumb drive. I tried installing Google Music, but that doesn't recognize it either. It may be possible to play from a phone, but I don't have my music on my phone and it wouldn't do me any good anyway because I usually don't take my phone with me in the car. My previous car (Leaf) has a regular USB port and plays music from my thumb drive. Does anyone know how I can play my music in the Volvo? This is major to me - it would be a deal killer if I hadn't already bought the car. There must be a way.
 
#54 · (Edited)
I just watched the MikesCarInfo YouTube review of the XC40 Infotainment system, and he specifically says that you can plug in a USB device with music and it will show up on the app screen, but he doesn't demonstrate it. I suppose I might have a bad adapter or there is some incompatibility. I have a USB-C on my laptop, although my music wasn't there. I tested the adapter and thumb drive combo on the laptop and it recognizes the drive and plays the music just fine, so I don't think that's the problem. Can both the salesman and Mike the reviewer be wrong about that USB port? If anyone can confirm the ability to plug in a thumb drive and have car recognize it to play music, please post about it. Any help would be appreciated. I don't have a USB-C thumb drive because I don't have a -C port on my desktop computer, the one I normally use.
 
#55 ·
No usb sticks in Polestar/XC40. Streaming only.
 
#56 ·
I finally called Volvo Consumer Support and a woman there kept insisting that it was possible to play the music from the USB port and said I must have the USB drive formatted wrong. She said the owner's manual explains that it needs FAT 32 format and I may have my USB drive formatted wrong. I told her I couldn't find that reference in the owner's manual and she promiosed to send me a link via email within 5 minutes. 10 minutes later I got the email only this is what it said:

Thank you for contacting Volvo Car USA

We have looked into your request for information on playing music via the USB port in your vehicle. Unfortunately at this time vehicle cannot play music via the USB port, the only ways to play music from an outside source is from a blue tooth connected phone.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Med vänliga hälsningar!

Yours Sincerely,
Briana
Volvo Consumer Relations Center
800.638.6586

So the support people don't even know anything about the car. I think she was looking in the wrong manual. She wouldn't even believe me that there were two Recharge models - the EV and the PHEV. She said there were only two XC40s, the gas version and the all-electric Recharge. I'm afraid we have a rocky six to twelve months with this car. So now I suppose I have to buy a bluetooth mp3 player. Does anyone have any recommendations for one? I've never used one. Do they all play WMA files? Can they run off current from the USB C port? Can I load my files in via a thumb drive or connect to a desktop computer?
 
#57 ·
Suggest you go browse the Polestar forum. There are a lot more geeks over there than here, many have had their car for a few months now, and they beat questions like this to a pulp looking for answers. It’s run by the same people as run this forum, so should be easy to navigate. The same android system in both cars, so it’s even more depressing to realize how slow Volvo/Polestar/Geely/Google have been at solving these multiple software issues since the P*2 has been on the street since last fall in Europe.
 
#58 ·
[/QUOTE]
The XC40 will not play via USB.
The ports are clearly labeled as charging ports.
FM stations are all locally tuned
AM stations are not available on the radio but can be streamed through the available apps, such as iheart radio.
WMA can be converted to MP3.

Google "how to turn your MP3 player to bluetooth."
Or, buy an MP3 bluetooth adapter.
Amazon Best Sellers: Best MP3 Player Bluetooth Transmitters

The streaming quality and sound on the radio is dependent on the quality of the music being played.

The audio system sounds great with the right input.
 
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