Volvo C40 Recharge is the EV version of that boxy, family

There's a long list of electric SUVs coming out this year.

As more compact SUVs with electric drivetrains become available the choices will be harder to make. It's not just Tesla but Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Fisker, Mazda, Toyota...

That's where the Volvo C40 Recharge comes in with a new type of car from Volvo — completely electric with no gas equivalent. It's a car made as an EV first and foremost. But it's still very much a Volvo from its creative analog features, focus on sustainable materials, Google-based infotainment system, and overall aesthetic — even if it doesn't have a traditional grille in front (there's no more engine). It still maintains that boxy look we all know as Volvo and continues to carry the Swedish carmaker's safety reputation. It's distinct in its design from any other boxy Volvo mostly because of its sloping backside, but it's not enough to doubt this is a Volvo SUV.

It looks like a Volvo. Credit: Volvo

While not a station wagon from Volvo's glory days, the C40 Recharge is another voluminous car that has a family-friendly vibe. Volvo has leaned into the SUV segment and the C40 Recharge fits right in as a compact, sportier option. It reaches up to 112 mph and with dual motors can handle tougher terrain with all-wheel drive.

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Its 226-mile range is not the most competitive battery capacity in an EV (the Tesla Model Y and X SUVs can reach upwards of 300 miles), but it knows its audience. This is for families who need a car to run errands, make it to activities, or go across town for a playdate. More than 200 miles of charge is plenty. Most charging happens at home when not road-tripping. (As much as 80 percent of charging is at home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.)

You're likely charging at home. Credit: Volvo

While driving a Fjord blue C40 Recharge above the hills of the Palm Springs, California desert earlier this month, I proudly regenerated five miles of range coasting from several thousand feet up. On the way up, signs along the side of the road recommended turning off the AC to help the engine power through, and I felt smug in my battery-powered machine that I knew would recapture the lost energy on the way down.

After a whole day driving around Palm Springs, including a drive-by architecture tour to 10 different homes (it was easy after plugging in the locations into Google Maps) and an emergency trip to a Best Buy, I had well over 30 percent battery left.

Many times throughout the day I found myself riding behind or near another Volvo and the C40 Recharge blended right in. It slips in easily as part of the Volvo family, especially as the Swedish company commits to more and more EVs. The charging port, frunk (front trunk where the engine used to sit in gas-powered Volvos), and new grille will soon become expected features in any Volvo.

The C40 Recharge represents the company's turn toward electric cars, but it looks like the familiar Volvo vibe isn't going anywhere.