So we test drove a few cars last week and went with Volvo XC40 Recharge. I actually liked VW ID4 a bit better (and even the top trim of gas Mazda CX5), but spouse preferred the Volvo, and she is the one commuting to work.

Now waiting for home installation of Level 2 charger. In the meantime, going to public chargers. This is really a pain. Not that many close by, the nearest is 12 minutes away and sometimes all are occupied (one out of four does not work). While it should be charging at up to 150 kW, it never goes over 110, even when the battery is at 20%, and the average is around 90-100. The cost is 56c per kWh, or 42 with $7/month membership - not great and no real savings vs efficient (but smaller) gas car. On top of it Volvo range is not great (I knew this beforehand), so charging is needed every 2-3 days (no charger at her work).

I am looking forward to home installation, but am not sure when it will happen, they are coming today for an estimate.

Thats the reality check. While the Ioniq 5 can charge up to 240kw, that number is rarely achieved. Most of the time our local EA station outputs about 130kw. Honestly, that is fast enough most of the time.

At that rate, it takes about 20 minutes to get from 30 to 85%. It's just about enough time to run into the grocery store and grab a few things, or walk over to Starbucks and grab a beverage and catch up on e-mail. It's really no big deal.

As to the waiting for a charger issue, I find it helpful to figure out when things are busiest and avoid those times. Being in a vacation oriented area, I try not to do any charging on Friday evening or Sunday midday. Generally that means I charge on Mondays and Thursdays. This is because we still have 9 more months of free charging at EA.

We are just starting the process of installing a 240v charger at home so it can be completed before winter sets in. I am pretty sure our panel can handle the load as we ditched our electric oven. It's just a matter of routing power to the garage instead of the kitchen.

Once you get used to never paying for gas and never having to pump gas, and not contributing to the ever increasing heat of our planet - there's no going back, st least for me.

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

Do you have a 120v household outlet nearby? You can charge with that, albeit SLOWLY. That will add about 10kWh overnight.

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MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 10:15AM by ztirffritz.

rented a Polestar 2 a couple years ago. I was very impressed.

Charge at home was slow, but I had very close access to many free L2 charge stations and that was great. Take the Silverado guzzler out for dinner, return to a full "tank" for the next days' excursions.
The XC40 wasn't out then. But we did run into a couple of ID4 owners that were very happy and an Ioniq(sp?).

When I'm ready, I'm thinking an XC60 or Polestar. Perhaps CPO'd.
The EX60 isn't due here until '26.

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!#$@@$#!

never do yesterday or today what you can put off til tomorrow or next year.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 10:20AM by Fritz.

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ztirffritz
Do you have a 120v household outlet nearby? You can charge with that, albeit SLOWLY. That will add about 10kWh overnight.

Yes. That was my thought as well. Usually is sufficient to cover a commute.

Checked and reports say ~31hrs to full charge/range on 120w ... If we assume 254 miles on a full charge (the lowest end of the estimated range) and 9hrs of nightly charging then that's 72 miles or so of charge per night (8.1 miles per hour of charge * 9hrs = 72 miles).

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unless I can find a "donor" 1948 Chrysler Town & Country “Barrel Back” convertible to electrify.

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!#$@@$#!

never do yesterday or today what you can put off til tomorrow or next year.

Mark,

"At that rate, it takes about 20 minutes to get from 30 to 85%." is a reality check for me. You say it's no big deal but for many, I bet it's an issue. I know it's definitely one for me. 20 minutes is a long time when you're accustomed to filling a vehicle with gas in 5 to 10 minutes.

20 minutes waiting for my vehicle to charge? That means I'd have to have a charging system installed at my office. That way, I can charge the vehicle easily and with minimal interruption. Waiting while the vehicle is charging would be a non-issue.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 10:31AM by Robert M.

Put it on 120V immediately after getting home and try not to let the battery get low, that might keep the car in the upper range and might reduce the need for public chargers until you get L2 charging.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

I charge at the supercharger and get a beer with the wife while we wait. I rather enjoy the experience.

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**************************************
MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#

Quote
Robert M
Mark,

"At that rate, it takes about 20 minutes to get from 30 to 85%." is a reality check for me. You say it's no big deal but for many, I bet it's an issue. I know it's definitely one for me. 20 minutes is a long time when you're accustomed to filling a vehicle with gas in 5 to 10 minutes.

20 minutes waiting for my vehicle to charge? That means I'd have to have a charging system installed at my office. That way, I can charge the vehicle easily and with minimal interruption. Waiting while the vehicle is charging would be a non-issue.

Robert

EVs are great for those who can charge at home or office, and less convenient for those who cannot do so (especially apartment renters). But the balance is changing and public chargers are getting better every year.

Welcome to the EV world!

Note that likely your EV can charge at 8a or 12a on 110v. The option to use 12a is probably buried in a screen menu. Likely it will also always switch back to 8a after every start so you’ll need to choose 12a every time you recharge. But going Level 2 is the best way.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Wife works 12-hour shifts 36 miles from home, so Level 1 charging is not really an option (takes 72 hours to fill the battery). Yes, we could get ~10 kWh overnight. Not enough even for a one-way commute. And there are some downsides due to weird wiring (garage and two bathrooms share a breaker).

There are no stores or restaurants of interest in the vicinity of the commercial charger.

I do not see this as a long-term problem for me, as I will have Level 2 charger installed even if I have to increase service at home. But I can see how it would be suboptimal for at least some apartment-dwellers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 11:06AM by dk62.

Quote
dk62
So we test drove a few cars last week and went with Volvo XC40 Recharge.

So you bought a 2023 model?

"...a plug-in hybrid model was introduced in 2019, and a battery electric vehicle model was released in 2020. Both the plug-in hybrid and the battery electric versions were marketed as the XC40 Recharge.

In 2024, Volvo renamed the battery electric XC40 to the Volvo EX40, aligning it with newer battery electric models such as the EX30 and the EX90."

On 110v you’ll still get 50+ miles to a charge. I assume your wife works just four days? If so 110v at 12a would keep up if you charge over the weekend on 110v. and have a full charge to start out her week.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Quote
DeusxMac

So you bought a 2023 model?

"...a plug-in hybrid model was introduced in 2019, and a battery electric vehicle model was released in 2020. Both the plug-in hybrid and the battery electric versions were marketed as the XC40 Recharge.

In 2024, Volvo renamed the battery electric XC40 to the Volvo EX40, aligning it with newer battery electric models such as the EX30 and the EX90."

No, 2024 model is still called XC40 Recharge, can check on Volvo site.

Quote
Speedy
On 110v you’ll still get 50+ miles to a charge. I assume your wife works just four days? If so 110v at 12a would keep up if you charge over the weekend on 110v. and have a full charge to start out her week.

At 1.2 kWh it takes 72 hours for dual motor to charge according to Volvo. The range is about 240 miles. So at 10 hours less than 36 miles. And no use of hair dryer in the bathroom (not that I have much hair but wife has a lot), And she works some weekends but the concept of two days of charging sort of works if it were not for the shared garage-bathroom circuit.

Getting the plug installed on Friday.

Quote
dk62
Getting the plug installed on Friday.

Good. Problem will be solved. Sounds like your situation absolutely demands a level 2 charger at home.

But for many people, it's more of a luxury than a necessity. I have friends that assumed they would get a Level 2 but found that it wasn't an issue the majority of the time. If you only need to recoup 30-40 miles a day, that can easily be done in 10-12 hours using a regular outlet. If you are just topping from 65-80%, you still have plenty to work with on the days you need a little more juice.

Not always practical and not practical for everyone, but for many it is enough.

Quote
dk62

Quote
DeusxMac

So you bought a 2023 model?

"...a plug-in hybrid model was introduced in 2019, and a battery electric vehicle model was released in 2020. Both the plug-in hybrid and the battery electric versions were marketed as the XC40 Recharge.

In 2024, Volvo renamed the battery electric XC40 to the Volvo EX40, aligning it with newer battery electric models such as the EX30 and the EX90."

No, 2024 model is still called XC40 Recharge, can check on Volvo site.

Perhaps Volvo is holding them back until the inventory of XC40 Recharges is cleared out.

[www.drivingelectric.com]

[www.drivingelectric.com]

Quote
dk62
Getting the plug installed on Friday.

This is the way.

Congrats on your new EV, looks like a fine car.

Yes and my point is that I don't wait until I have a charging emergency to charge. If I am below 50% and I need to pick up a few things at the store, I'll plug in at the charger. Or in the morning, instead of sitting on the couch and dealing with e-mail, I grab a cup of coffee and do it in the car. It's really not that big of a deal Robert.

The cheapest gas in town is a 15 mile round trip drive plus waiting for one of two pumps to become available. The closest station is 1/2 of a mile away on a very busy thoroughfare. It can take 8 minutes to get there with traffic. Gas there is double the national average.

Personally I am going to pick an EV in that situation.

Quote
Robert M
Mark,

"At that rate, it takes about 20 minutes to get from 30 to 85%." is a reality check for me. You say it's no big deal but for many, I bet it's an issue. I know it's definitely one for me. 20 minutes is a long time when you're accustomed to filling a vehicle with gas in 5 to 10 minutes.

20 minutes waiting for my vehicle to charge? That means I'd have to have a charging system installed at my office. That way, I can charge the vehicle easily and with minimal interruption. Waiting while the vehicle is charging would be a non-issue.

Robert

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 01:35PM by Markintosh.

If you’re going to do public charging, anything other than Tesla’s network is a sh|t show. At least with Tesla, even if it’s crowded, you’ll know ahead of time, and charging is generally faster. These other charging networks need to get their act together.

Quote
Carnos Jax
If you’re going to do public charging, anything other than Tesla’s network is a sh|t show. At least with Tesla, even if it’s crowded, you’ll know ahead of time, and charging is generally faster. These other charging networks need to get their act together.

Unless Elon gets a burr up his behind and fires the whole SuperCharger team again.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Quote
Speedy

Quote
Carnos Jax
If you’re going to do public charging, anything other than Tesla’s network is a sh|t show. At least with Tesla, even if it’s crowded, you’ll know ahead of time, and charging is generally faster. These other charging networks need to get their act together.

Unless Elon gets a burr up his behind and fires the whole SuperCharger team again.

Don’t give him ideas

MArk,

For you, it's not a big deal but for me, and likely others, it's a significant issue. You really need to look at it from my perspective and not be quite so dismissive of what is a valid concern.

Not sure why you would bring up waiting until it's an emergency situation to fuel a car. Nobody brought that up in the discussion. Since you mentioned it, I don't wait until my vehicle is so low in fuel that it's an emergency. Waiting that long is just stupid. I usually fill up when there is still a 1/2 of a tank to 1/3 of a tank of fuel left. Never less than that. This ensures the tank never has a foolishly low amount of fuel left in it.

I never have to go out of my way to refuel. I fuel my vehicle at stations that are along my drive to work or home or, if necessary, anywhere along the way to a destination. I live in an area where there are a tremendous number of fuel stations. There are two near my office, too many to count halfway home, a couple 2/3 of the way home and three of them a minute or so from home.

Robert

Quote
Carnos Jax
If you’re going to do public charging, anything other than Tesla’s network is a sh|t show.

I think that is different in different places. I used EA in central Fla a few times. It was quite all right. There were others there as well. Nothing like the free L2s but didn't suck.

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!#$@@$#!

never do yesterday or today what you can put off til tomorrow or next year.

In the olden days, people used to actually get out of their cars and talk with each other at Tesla superchargers while juicing up.

Times have changed. Blame the 3s and Y's… now it's just a circus at the larger centers. With lots and lots of monkeys.

I am still waiting for the XC30, I think that’s the right name, the brand new smaller Volvo electric.
I went by months ago and saw a sample car, but the production models were not available yet, and they were only taking deposits. I want to drive the actual car before I commit.

It’s actually called the EX30. I was close. Lol

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2024 05:50PM by rgG.

The XC40 drives really nice, but so does (in general) ID4. ID4 is a big bigger inside, which attracted me. But it had two issues during the test drive, and that sealed its fate vs Volvo.

I am considering an EX90

Quote
special
I am considering an EX90

We had gas XC60 in the past but with grown kids I really prefer smaller cars as long as I can fit in it. I preferred driving Mazda 3 to the Volvo at that time, for overall agility and driving pleasure. BMW X3 before that was another story while I disliked X5. We also test drove X1 last week and I found turbo lag to be too much, surprisingly more noticeable than on Mazda CX5. XC40 is about the right size for me now, maybe ID4 would be slightly better.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2024 01:02PM by dk62.

Quote
rgG
I am still waiting for the XC30, I think that’s the right name, the brand new smaller Volvo electric.
I went by months ago and saw a sample car, but the production models were not available yet, and they were only taking deposits. I want to drive the actual car before I commit.

It’s actually called the EX30. I was close. Lol

Yeah I sat in one of those at a car show last summer. I'm still not feeling the minimalist styling.

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Hurts like a bastid...

Quote
special
I am considering an EX90

Me, too, once the kids are out of college!

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Hurts like a bastid...

Once you get your level 2 installed you will never use a public station again unless you go on a long trip.

Check with your utility company and see if they have any offerings. Mine had a deal to rent a charger that they maintain for $12/month(It is a $600 Chargepoint Charger) and then it charges at night on a off peak schedule and I only pay $.06 per kWh. The energy savings costs which is less than half my normal rate pays for the charger rental and then some.

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C(-)ris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm confused about the numbers.

My C-Max only has a 20 mile EV range, but it charges fully on 120V in 5 hours. So why wouldn't you get 40 miles of range from 120V in 10 hours?

P.S.: As for other charging networks needing to get their act together... ChargePoint is pretty good. Their app will tell you how many chargers at each location and how many are currently available or in use.

Quote
AllGold
I'm confused about the numbers.

My C-Max only has a 20 mile EV range, but it charges fully on 120V in 5 hours. So why wouldn't you get 40 miles of range from 120V in 10 hours?

P.S.: As for other charging networks needing to get their act together... ChargePoint is pretty good. Their app will tell you how many chargers at each location and how many are currently available or in use.

I cannot pull more than 10-12 Amps because of other things on the garage/3 bathrooms circuit. It is a dual motor, 403 hp, so it uses quite a bit of electricity. It has 75 kWh battery and ~220 usable miles, so 10 hours would give me about 12 kWh, about 1/6 of total capacity. But with the wife leaving home at 6 AM and coming back around 8:30, even 10 hours is not possible. Moot with tomorrow's installation.

Quote
C(-)ris
Once you get your level 2 installed you will never use a public station again unless you go on a long trip.

Check with your utility company and see if they have any offerings. Mine had a deal to rent a charger that they maintain for $12/month(It is a $600 Chargepoint Charger) and then it charges at night on a off peak schedule and I only pay $.06 per kWh. The energy savings costs which is less than half my normal rate pays for the charger rental and then some.

C(-)ris, you moved right along!! And that’s a very good deal!

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2024 03:59PM by Speedy.