5 thoughts about the 2024 Volvo C40 Recharge

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. — The Volvo C40 Recharge is a quirky yet elegant little hatch with a lot to talk about. Along with the XC40, it’s the first rear-wheel-drive Volvo since the 1990s. The cabin blends Google power with Scandinavian simplicity. I think the C40 looks like an early crossover from the ‘80s. So yes, I have thoughts. Five of them.

The design reminds me of the AMC Eagle

Stay with me here. Am I the only one who thinks this looks like an AMC Eagle? It’s the big wheels — these diamond-cut silver and black rollers measure 20 inches — and the silhouette. A slightly lifted hatchback is a crossover these days, but it shares some of the quirkiness and car-like quality of the Eagle, which could be considered an early crossover.

Tenuous design connections aside, the slab front end, LED headlights and prominent Volvo emblem conjure the requisite premium feel. It does look the part of an EV, which is a natural vibe for Volvos in general. They exude quirky sophistication layered over Scandinavian minimalism and sensibility. Not your flavor of vodka? You may have heard the Dodge Charger is now an electric vehicle.

I had an odd charging experience

With a few minutes to kill on a Saturday morning, I pulled into a ChargePoint station to try to grab some bonus miles. I didn’t have much time, but the ChargePoint chargers were literally across the street from where I was going. Might as well be plugged into one if I’m going to sit in the parking lot, drink coffee and read Autoblog on my phone.

Alas, the driver screen read “initializing charging” but never consummated the charge. I unplugged and re-plugged. No dice. ChargePoint charged me $2 for the pleasure of hooking up my car and not charging for five minutes.

Like I said, I was just killing time and didn’t absolutely need the juice, so away I went. I try to make a point of charging EVs on public infrastructure for each test car, and the results are uneven. This C40 had been recently charged, so I tend to think it was just a ‘bad handshake’ between the car and the charger, which seems to be common for EV owners. I suppose it could have been user error, too. In these situations there’s a tendency to assign blame. I’m not.