Sitting in the Volvo XC40 this morning it was clear why someone would pay A$80,000 for a car. Massive acceleration (0-100 in 4.9 seconds), luxurious comfort and a host of well-thought-out useful additions. I remember when I used to buy my Ford Fairmont (also an XC) – the selling point was that it had a clock. And I remember when my GM Holden Kingswood had a radio function. The technology changes, the sales tactics do not. Volvo has recently stated that it will no longer be bringing petrol or diesel cars into Australia. A year and a half ago, the XC40 was the only electric Volvo available. How fast things change.
As cars move further down the road of the electric powertrain, it will be technology, creature comforts and nifty gimmicks that will set them apart from their rivals – it will be about the feeling. (Sounds familiar?)
This morning I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Hausler, a retired machinist who enjoys traveling around Australia in his Volvo XC40 Recharge. When he first considered going electric 18 months ago, he looked at the Tesla Model 3 and said, “I really don’t pay that much money for a car!” Which turned out to be ironic when you consider that the XC40 Recharge can be bought for so much more. He did consider the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but they have a very limited range. The Tesla Model 3 was built too low and would be difficult for him and his wife to access. So he did his research, took the Volvo for a test drive and became addicted to one-pedal luxury driving.
When they picked up the car, the rep set up the ID and synced it to his phone. The Volvo has enough space, also in the back seat. Steve is 6 feet 1 inch, his son is 6 feet 3 inches. When it gets hot, the sunroof can be opened with a swipe across the ceiling. The car has a stated range of 420 km (260 mi) and four-wheel drive. Reversing is made easy with a 360-degree aerial view (no idea how they do that). Steve finds the navigation map behind the wheel useful and easy to use.
Steve and his wife have already done a road trip from Brisbane to Adelaide and via The Great Ocean Road to Melbourne. Including the way back, that is a journey of 5800 km. We compared notes on charging challenges. His was different from ours as he took the domestic route. He only had one charging station where he had to wait 30 minutes for another EV to leave the charger – but it didn’t really matter because the Hauslers stayed overnight. The key, he says, is to have plenty of time. Steve is retired, he’s in no rush.
Sleeping in a caravan park one night, he had to use the granny lanyard that comes with the car – unfortunately the built-in flashing light disturbed his sleep. Empty the wine box, load indicator in it, problem solved. One motel had an outlet installed in every second parking space – it made life easy.
The biggest problem Steve has had with the Volvo occurred on a camping trip to Stradbroke Island. The car was parked on a steep slope and it was raining heavily. The car did not recognize Steve’s remote and he had to use the physical key to unlock the car. On his return to Brisbane he took the car to the dealer and everything was sorted out. It could be that moisture had affected the main camera.
The Volvo XC 40 comes with a physical emergency key
With fast chargers being built and the Tesla Supercharger network opening up, Steve is looking forward to more road trips – maybe to Mt Isa or further to Uluru.
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