2013 Volvo Xc90 on 2040-cars

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Volvo C40 Luggage Test: How much cargo space?

The Volvo C40 is the chopped-roof "coupe" version of the Volvo XC40, albeit without the internal combustion powertrain options. It's Recharge or nothing. As an electric vehicle, the C40 (or EC40 as it's apparently being renamed) is quite agreeable, with ample range and performance, plus a refined driving experience indicative of a Volvo that is quite clearly more sophisticated than the Hyundais, Kias and Volkswagens of the world. The interior up front is highly functional, too, with clever storage and good tech. Oh, and the gray wool upholstery is just beautiful.  But good grief, is the rear visibility atrocious. The back window is comparable to a pillbox and the blind spot is enormous. Worse, the various cameras supposedly on board to counter those flaws are just not effective. The rearview camera is mounted so low that its field of view is poor. The rearview camera mirror is susceptible to water droplets and condensation, and worse, the mirror housing is effectively pointed at the ceiling. That ceiling is glass and there is no shade. Ergo, if the sun is behind you, the amount of glare on the mirror renders it unviewable. If the roof is covered in condensation and the sun is behind you, there might as well be a brick mounted to the ceiling.  OK, I've gone off the rails here, but I just had to get that off my chest. The XC40 Recharge (or EX40 as it'll be called in the future), didn't have that problem, and I'm sure this isn't exactly a spoiler, it has a more usable cargo area, too.  Just in case it's not obvious, the C40/EC40 and XC40/EX40 is on the right. I'm done doing that / business, so I'm just going to make this future-proof from here on out. Volvo's specs say the EC40 has 17.3 cubic-feet of cargo space and specifically indicates that includes the underfloor storage area. When seemingly using that same measurement, the EX40 has 20.4. Honestly, I have no idea how that equates to the typically reported cubic-foot volume number of other manufacturers, but as a point of reference to each other, I'm going with those figures.  Both have an underfloor storage area, including a lid that cleverly props itself up so you can divide the cargo area for the purposes of keeping smaller items in place. There's also two little tabs that stick up specifically intended to loop grocery bags onto.  Now, I wrote off this area in the XC40 luggage test since it wasn't big enough to hold the smallest (fancy) bag, shown above in blue.

Volvo-based Futuricum electric truck sets Guinness range record

There is a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled by an electric truck on a single charge. Swiss-based firm Futuricum built a Volvo-based delivery truck that drove for 683 miles on a closed test track. Although the prototype used to set the record has reportedly been in regular service on Swiss roads since early 2021, the record was set on a 1.7-mile high-speed oval operated by Continental near Hanover, Germany. The truck set off with a full charge and coasted to a stop 392 laps later; two drivers split their schedule in 4.5-hour shifts. Reaching the 683-mile threshold took about 23 hours, so the truck traveled at an average speed of 31 mph. Futuricum calls this a realistic average value for the truck's intended use — it's certainly not designed for long hauls. Whether it was empty or loaded with cargo wasn't specified, and we've reached out to the company for more details. What we do know is that the drivetrain was not modified, meaning the 680-horsepower truck is equipped with a 680-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. That's over six times bigger than the battery in a Porsche Taycan. Driving at a constant speed on a closed track is very different than delivering parcels in real-world conditions, which is what the Futuricum truck normally spends its days doing. In more normal use cases, the model (whose speed is electronically limited to about 55 mph) has a driving range of around 250 miles, according to the manufacturer. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvo EX90 will provide SunLike sunlight for occupants and cargo

Volvo says another one of the human-centric features coming to the EX90 battery-electric wagon is a sun-like light. A few years ago, Korean firm Seoul Semiconductor developed a range of LEDs called SunLike, the heliotropic name derived from the non-flickering LEDs producing illumination close to the spectrum of planetary daylight. The science bits include a new diode architecture, a purple emitter and different phosphors in place of the usual yellow. The upshot for EX90 occupants is said to be in-car light that's easier on the eyes, less low-light reflection, and color and texture reproduction closer to nature — all that Nordico recycled synthetic fabric, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, and wool from sustainably-raised sheep will look more natural.. The lights have found their way into some museums, curators looking for improved color rendition from the artworks. The Swedes say they're the first to use these lights in an automotive application. There will be 72 SunLike LEDs placed throughout the vehicle, being all the non-decorative lights in the cabin ceiling, floor, and door pockets, and the trunk. The design lead for color and materials said, "By utilizing the spectrum of light emitted from the SunLike LEDs, the progressive materials and interior design of the Volvo EX90 stand out more clearly and without colour distortion. Complementing our wood deco and other natural materials inside the cabin, the lights are central to our Scandinavian design language." The Polestar 3 will get the same treatment. The seven-seat, twin-motor EX90 with up to 300 miles of range starts rolling down lines in Volvo's South Carolina plant later this year. The crossover will make safety as important as comfort, the EX90 incorporating cameras, radar, lidar, and Nvidia-powered software to take stock of the vehicleÂ’s surroundings plus the driverÂ’s gaze and attention. The lidar can detect objects ahead to centimeter accuracy from 250 meters (about 820 feet) away in glaring sun or total darkness, Volvo says. Volvo describes the EX90 as “a highly advanced computer on wheels” with the ability to improve over time thanks to over-the-air software updates. Preorders are open now, with "well-equipped" configurations said to come in "at  under $80,000." Deliveries begin in early 2024. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.