Volvo C40 Efficiency Test Concludes Rather Predictably

The agency further highlights 39 kWh per 100 miles (161 kilometers), as well as MPGe figures of 94 in the urban jungle and 80 on the highway. The question is, how does the Swedish SUV perform in real-world scenarios?

Max Patten of TFLEV is much obliged to answer that curiosity with an efficiency test. Over a 110-mile round trip, which is 177 kilometers if you prefer the metric system, he’ll first drive on the right lane at an average of 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour). The second time out, the average speed will be raised to 75 mph (121 kph) to see how much more energy is needed to sustain those 10 extra miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour).

Both trips begin with an 80-percent state of charge rather, which is roughly 62.4 kWh of the 78-kWh battery. Volvo further offers a single-motor C40 that rocks a 69-kWh battery. This version promises 434 kilometers (270 miles) under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure, which isn’t as close to real-world figures as the EPA’s testing procedure.

Back in Loveland, Colorado, after 106.6 miles (171.6 kilometers) of driving, the digital instrument cluster shows an energy consumption average of 31.7 kWh per 100 miles at 57 miles per hour (91.7 kilometers per hour). Of course, these figures account for in-town driving, merging, and all that jazz.

Juicing up to 80 percent costs $12.09 at an Electrify America charging station, and Max is ready to hit the road again. On this occasion, he reports 36 kWh per 100 miles and 63 miles per hour (101 kilometers per hour).

That being said, how much range did the C40 Recharge lose between these runs at 65 and 75 miles per hour? 226 miles multiplied by 0.02, the percentage difference between the runs, is 4.52 miles of range.