Volvo XC40 Recharge and EX40 EV Charging Cable

One car, two names, and a real improvement between them

Volvo renamed the XC40 Recharge to EX40, and it was not only a badge change. The Single Motor went from 264 miles WLTP to about 298, and DC peak rose from roughly 136 kW to 180 kW. Usable capacity is 67 kWh from a 69 kWh pack on the Single Motor and 79 kWh from 82 on the Extended Range and Twin Motor.

The C40 Recharge, now EC40, is the same car with a lower roofline, and we checked it version by version: same battery, same charger, same connectors, same port position. Everything on this page applies to it.

What it draws at your house

Those 11 kW and 22 kW ratings need three phases to appear. On a normal home supply the number is 7.4 kW. The electric XC40 is a conventional 11 kW three phase unit, which is worth stating plainly because Volvo's plug-in hybrids are not: those need two phases to reach 6.4 kW and fall back to 3.7 kW at home. This car does not have that problem and takes a straightforward 7.4 kW from a single phase supply.

No 22 kW option has ever been offered on the XC40 or EX40, and an owners' forum thread confirms the car supports three phase 16 amp only. So the 32A single phase cable is the whole decision here.

How long a full charge takes

Hours are worked from battery size against power drawn, plus a 13 per cent allowance for what is lost as heat, rounded to fifteen minutes. Miles per hour is worked at 3.5 miles per kWh, a figure that survives a cold morning. Columns are the Single Motor and the Extended Range or Twin Motor packs. Volvo's own times are about seven and a quarter hours on 11 kW three phase and ten and three quarters on 7.4 kW single phase for the smaller pack.

Range runs from 264 miles on the original XC40 Recharge Single Motor through 298 on the EX40 Single Motor and 358 on the Extended Range, to 332 on the Twin Motor.

Which length for an XC40 or EX40

The inlet is on the rear nearside, in the rear quarter panel roughly where you would look for a fuel flap. Zapmap calls it the near-side rear three-quarter panel, which on a UK car is the left.

The XC40 is 4.44 metres. Reverse in with the charge point on the left and 5 metres reaches comfortably. Nose in, or a charge point on the offside, and the cable travels the length of the car, so 10 metres. Take a tape measure to the run, inlet to charge point, and add a couple of metres before choosing.

How these cables are built

It is a CE marked IEC 62196-2 cable, IP55 against the weather, rated to work between -30C and +50C.

The three pin cable is built to IEC 62752, CE marked, sealed to IP67 and rated from -30C to +60C. Two year manufacturer's warranty. Delivery is free and next working day, and returns are open for 30 days.

Related: Volvo XC60 Recharge EV Charging Cable, and Volvo charging cables for every other model we cover. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

Volvo XC40 Recharge and EX40 charging cable questions

What cable does an electric XC40 need?

A 32A single phase Type 2 to Type 2 cable. The car is an 11 kW three phase unit, so a British home supply gives it 7.4 kW and a 32A lead carries all of it.

Is the EX40 different from the XC40 Recharge?

Same car, renamed, but with genuine improvements: the Single Motor gained about 34 miles of range and DC peak rose from roughly 136 kW to 180 kW. Charging hardware and port position are unchanged.

Does this cable suit a C40 Recharge or EC40?

Yes. We checked version by version and the C40 and EC40 share the same battery, charger, connectors and rear nearside port as the XC40 and EX40.

How long does it take to charge at home?

About ten and three quarter hours from empty at 7.4 kW on the 69 kWh Single Motor, and nearer twelve and a half on the 82 kWh cars.