Volvo's Updated EX40 Gets 357 Miles and 205 kW Charging — But Not in the US

Volvo flew journalists to London this week to show off refreshed versions of its two best-selling small SUVs: the XC40 and the fully electric EX40. Both get sharper sheet metal and a big safety overhaul, but the headline changes live under the floor — bigger batteries, longer range, and meaningfully faster DC charging. The catch for American buyers is a familiar one: the electric EX40 isn't coming here.

What happened

Volvo announced updates to the XC40 and EX40 at an event in London, covering new exterior styling, a new sensor suite, and revised powertrains across the lineup. CleanTechnica's Kyle Field attended (Volvo covered his travel and accommodations) and reported the details.

Visually, the two models are now easier to tell apart: the XC40 wears a grille, while the EX40 goes with a smooth, closed-off front end. Both share the same new design language, including scalloped cuts that run from the hood back through the sides and taper off into a redesigned rear end. Volvo also developed all-new "Thor's Hammer" style matrix LED taillights with 15 distinct sections, so the lighting can be tuned for whatever conditions you're driving in, plus new headlights and a reworked tailgate and rear bumper.

"By enhancing the design, technology and safety features of our 40 series cars, we've created the best versions of our 40 series yet. These already popular models are now set to continue being among our best-selling cars for years to come." — Akhil Krishnan, interim lead for the 30 and 40 series at Volvo Cars

The EX40's numbers

The fully electric EX40 comes in three variants, and the range jump at the top of the lineup is substantial:

• EX40 P4 Long Range: 357 miles / 575 km of range on the WLTP cycle, from an 82 kWh nominal (79 kWh usable) battery.
• EX40 P5: a 69–70 kWh battery good for roughly 295 miles / 475 km combined on WLTP.
• DC charging: peak power climbs from 135 kW in the P5 to 205 kW in the P4 Long Range — a real road-trip upgrade, not just a spec-sheet flex.

One important translation note for US readers: those are WLTP figures, which are measured on a more forgiving cycle than the EPA testing used here. Real-world numbers on American highways would land lower.

The XC40's surprise: a 78-mile plug-in hybrid

The bigger story on the XC40 side is the long-range plug-in hybrid system. Volvo more than doubled the electric-only range, going from 35 miles in the previous version to an estimated 78 miles per charge. That's enough to cover two or three days of typical driving on electricity alone before the gas engine has to wake up. Volvo also boosted the electric motor's output, which makes the PHEV drive more like a proper EV rather than a hybrid with a small battery bolted on.

As CleanTechnica notes, this follows a broader pattern of automakers shifting their US strategy from fully electric vehicles toward hybrids and plug-in hybrids in response to a less EV-friendly policy environment. The upside for drivers is that a long-range PHEV genuinely lets you plug in and run electric for daily driving while keeping the gas backup for long trips.

Why it matters

Volvo has opted not to bring the EX40 to the US market, and the same goes for the more affordable EX30 — a decision CleanTechnica frames as largely self-inflicted given the current administration's move away from EVs. There's hope both models find a path back to the States eventually, but for now the fully electric 40-series stays overseas.

What does land here matters anyway. A 78-mile-per-charge plug-in hybrid changes the math on home charging. At that range, the XC40 PHEV stops being a car you occasionally plug in and starts being a car you plug in every single night — because every mile you charge at home is a mile you don't buy at the pump.

What this means for EV owners

Whether you're driving a long-range PHEV or a full EV, the same truth applies: 205 kW DC charging is what you use a handful of times a year, and your home charger is what you use 300+ nights a year. If you're topping off a 78-mile battery on a 120V outlet, you're leaving most of that electric range on the table on any day you drive more than once.

A proper Level 2 setup fixes that. Our EV chargers collection covers the range from simple plug-in units to hardwired high-output stations. For most PHEV and non-Tesla EV owners, a 40A J1772 Level 2 charger on a NEMA 14-50 plug is the sweet spot — enough power to refill a mid-size pack overnight without needing a hardwired install. If you've got a bigger battery and a panel that can support it, the AC Pro 80A 19.2 kW residential charger cuts home charging times dramatically.

And once the charger is on the wall, keep the cable off the garage floor. A charging cable organizer keeps the connector mounted and protected, which sounds trivial until you've stepped on a coiled cable in the dark for the third time this month.

The bottom line

Volvo's refreshed 40-series is a genuinely better pair of cars: 357 miles of WLTP range and 205 kW peak charging on the top EX40, a 78-mile plug-in hybrid XC40, a full safety sensor overhaul, and styling that finally gives the lineup some edge. American buyers only get part of that story, since the EX40 and EX30 are staying out of the US market for now. But the takeaway travels just fine — as electric-only ranges climb on both EVs and plug-in hybrids, the home charging setup in your garage is what decides whether you actually use that range or just read about it on the window sticker.