I drove the pure-electric Volvo C40 Recharge into the woods and hugged a tree

The compact SUV is leading Volvo’s big green ambitions, and leaves the petrol version in the dust

You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to make the shift to electric, but it helps (The Independent)

There’s an otherworldly air about Heckfield Place, a bucolic Georgian manor set in the serene Hampshire countryside, just far enough away from anything else of note that you have to zoom out two or three times on Google Maps to get your bearings.

I’ve driven here in the Volvo C40 Recharge, the new pure-electric SUV flagship from the Swedish marque, and I’m leaving behind the big city to recharge my own, metaphorical batteries in the library-quiet surroundings of a sprawling, eco-minded retreat.

Like most of us right now, my metaphorical batteries are dry and crusty – the equivalent of those AAAs that came with the TV remote, the ones you have to pop out and swap around when you want to switch over to Channel 4. My metaphorical batteries are in such a state, I’m concerned recharging myself might be dangerous somehow, that attempting any kind of self-care runs the real risk of me bursting into flames near a guru. That is to say, if the Volvo C40 Recharge wants to turn me into something other than a tightly wound ball of hot stress, it has a challenge on its 19in alloys.

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Whereas getting behind the wheel of most new cars can feel like being placed at the controls of a spaceship, the Volvo C40 Recharge puts you at ease straightaway with its first impressions. This isn’t unique to Volvo, but the C40 provides an entirely keyless experience. The car recognises the presence of a fob as you stride towards it, switching the electric motor on, unlocking the door as your fingertips brush against the handle, and getting your murder podcasts queued up.

There’s no starter button, you eventually realise after scanning the interior for ages, while any remaining confidence you might have had about knowing how to start a car slowly ebbs away. Instead, the C40 is ready to drive from the moment your bum is in the seat. It is a bum-activated car. From the instant your cheeks touch down on the vegan leather, you could be 4.7 seconds away from doing 62mph.

(Volvo)

Volvo seems to be striving for simplicity with the C40 Recharge. The car whittles away a few of the remaining design hangovers of the era of the combustion engine. The ritual of turning a key in an ignition is long gone, obviously, but so too is the idea of turning a car on or off at all.

The C40 Recharge exists in a state of perpetual readiness, and once you get over the nagging sensation that you’re strolling away from an idling engine, it feels like a sophisticated and nonchalant way to enter and exit your car. Like arriving at the Hotel Bel Air and tossing your keys to the valet, except there are no keys, no valet, and you’ve just competently bay parked an SUV in a big Sainsbury’s.

(James Robinson)

The drive

Driving can be made simple too, if you want it to be. The C40 Recharge has an optional one-pedal driving mode, which uses regenerative braking to slow the car down as you lift your foot off the accelerator. This takes some getting used to, but it’s a more energy-efficient way of driving and extends the car’s range. Officially that’s 273 miles, which is fine, if not especially far. Used in conjunction with features such as pilot assist and adaptive cruise control – which maintains speed and distance from the vehicle in front while keeping in lane – and the C40 Recharge can sometimes leave you with very little to actually do behind the wheel.

The C40 Recharge is available in a twin-motor or single-motor setup. I’m driving the twin, which offers an obscene 408hp shared between both axles. Behind the wheel, it feels even more powerful than that figure suggests. The C40 Recharge is a heavy EV and the motor isn’t shy about dumping all of its torque dramatically and all at once, like a work experience kid dropping a catering-sized bucket of mayonnaise and storming off. The force pins you to your seat and delivers sporty acceleration for a car of this size and shape. It’s fun, although probably too much juice for everyday city driving.

(Volvo)

The interior

At every speed, the C40 Recharge is a comfortable ride, whether you’re inching along the Hammersmith flyover in dense traffic and apocalyptic rain, or you’re snaking around Hampshire roads on your way to a literal tree-hugging ceremony. There are premium touches dotted about the interior, such as the subtle topographic map inlaid along parts of the trim, which gently illuminates at night. The main display is a 9in touchscreen powered by Google, so you’ve got Google Maps as your navigation system, Google Assistant as your voice controls, and seamless connectivity with Android phones. There’s a CarPlay option for iPhone users.

The large display also acts as your 360-degree parking camera at low speeds, which gives you a bird’s-eye view of the car and makes parking feel like playing a particularly niche videogame. This is especially useful considering the C40’s high, steep and narrow rear window, which gives you just the barest hint of the scene behind you. A glut of safety systems designed to enhance driver awareness, such as blind-spot warning lights on the wing mirrors, help to mitigate this. While the rear view isn’t great, it’s at least roomy in the backseats under that panoramic sunroof.

(James Robinson)

As the Volvo C40 Recharge quietly topped up its batteries in the hotel car park, I embarked on a forest-bathing session in the woods surrounding Heckfield Place. We were instructed to pick whichever tree we felt most drawn to, and encouraged to ask it any pressing questions we had. I chose the tree giving off the most neutral vibes, a real middle-of-the-road tree, and embraced it.

If I had been able to communicate with the tree, I’m sure it would have approved of the electric C40 (and the shift to more-environmentally friendly vehicles in general). While it’s not the most affordable pure-electric compact SUV, and the range is just about average in this category, the ride is great and it offers surprisingly quick and responsive performance, premium interior-design touches, and advanced features that make it remarkably easy to drive without removing too much control. It feels futuristic and crammed with useful features, without being too techy.

Volvo C40 Recharge: From £699 per month, Volvocars.com

(Volvo)

Technical specs for the twin-engine model tested – features will differ on other cars.

• Engine: Electric
• Configuration: All-wheel drive
• Max output: 408bhp
• Battery size: 78kWh
• Acceleration (0-62mph): 4.7s
• Top speed: 112mph
• Range: 273 miles
• Charging time: 27 min (fast charge 10-80 per cent)

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