2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge And C40 Gain Range, And Shift To Rear-Wheel-Drive

It’s officially official, Volvo’s new EVs are RWD based.

We had an inkling that things were about to change up at Volvo. A few weeks ago, Polestar announced its new motor setup, where the brand planned to shift from its largely front-wheel-drive, front-motor-biased design, to an all-new rear-motor biased design. The change meant that single-motor Polestar 2’s would be rear motor, rear-wheel-drive. That same change has officially been announced for the US and Canadian market 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge and Volvo C40 EV.

The shift to a rear motor and rear-wheel drive isn’t to get street cred with drift kings who were secretly pining after an electric Volvo crossover. No, this new motor setup is more efficient, says Volvo. The C40 and XC40 (along with the Polestar 2) use a new battery and motor that improves both power and range. The new single-motor C40 and XC40 now produces 248 horsepower. Technically, this model wasn’t ever offered in the US or Canada, but it’s about 17 horsepower up from the markets that got the single motor variant in front motor, front-wheel-drive guise. Range from the new 82 kWh battery is impressive, the XC40 and C40 offer 293 and 297 miles of range, respectively.

The twin-motor AWD cars still get a performance and range boost, despite not getting the new 82 kWh battery found in the single-motor cars. The rear motor is rated for 255 horsepower, but the new front motor has 147 horsepower. Most pertinently, Volvo says this new front motor will only engage when needed, allowing for more range. The refreshed XC40 can now drive 254 miles, up 21 miles from the previous iteration. The C40 also gets a range boost, up to 257, up from the 226 of the old car.

The 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 should be on sale before the end of the year.

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