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Recharge Your Paradigm
I do my best to be a responsible and environmentally conscious woman. I recycle, I use biodegradable products when possible, I turn off lights when I’m not using them… you get the idea. So when I had the opportunity to drive a fully electric compact SUV, my responsible and environmentally-conscious mind was overjoyed!
Allow me to introduce you to my latest Autobahn Fort Worth car crush: the 2021 Volvo XC 40 Recharge!
(Cue crowd cheering)
Because I had never driven an electric car before, it was imperative that the knowledgeable and caring staff at Autobahn Volvo accompany this newbie on her first test-run of this electric dream. The first and most obvious thing that struck me as an entirely new feature in a car was the accelerator pedal. It acted both as the “gas” and the brake. This was weird at first, but after I got used to it, I loved it. Because the pedal is controlling the electric motors, when you begin to take your foot off it, the motors slow down naturally, which slows the car down very quickly.
After reading that, you’re now probably wondering “So does it actually have a brake pedal?” Yes, indeed it does, but I only found myself using it if someone or something moved in front of me a little quicker than I was comfortable with. That said, I hardly ever touched the brake pedal, which was kind of a mind-blow for me and took some perspective-bending indeed.
I was certainly not used to the insane amount of immediate torque this electric SUV provided the second I pushed down on the accelerator. It’s not a stretch at all to say that if you’re into severe acceleration and driving around town like a buzzing bee, shooting to and fro with incredible swiftness, an EV is the type of car for you. The power was so immense and yet… totally silent. The all-wheel drive enables the compact SUV to reach speeds of 60mph in under 4.7 seconds! (I know that, ahem, because I researched it.) Overall, because it is electric and very well dampened, it’s also super quiet. On the highway, conversations and music can be heard mostly free and clear of car and road noise.
The next important feature I needed to be familiar with before I left the dealership was where and how to recharge. The range of the XC 40 Recharge is 208 miles. This is approximately how far you can go before the car won’t go anymore. Ideally, the owner of a car such as this one has the ability to charge their car overnight in their garage. I, on the other hand, did not. Our garage is tiny and only holds seasonal decorations, camping gear, and tools, so I certainly needed a backup charging plan! Piers Morfey at Autobahn Volvo showed me where I could hook up and charge at the dealership. He also explained to me that there were differences in speed at the various charging locations around town. Depending on the kind of time I had, I had to make sure I hooked up to the right one. I actually never NEEDED to recharge before I returned the car but decided to give it a little charging love one afternoon at a location just one mile down the road from our house.
Now, let’s talk aesthetics. This SUV is incredibly classy inside and out! I was fascinated by the lack of a traditional grill design, where it was instead replaced by a single piece of material that was the same color as the body. The seats were comfortable and spacious and upholstered with Alcantara, which feels like the softest suede you can imagine. The huge amount of cargo space was a dream, especially when I folded the rear seats. As a mom who acts as an Uber most days for my sweet children, I didn’t mind the driving at all when it came to getting behind the wheel. It had all the safety features expected from Volvo as well as an infotainment system that was completely user-friendly.
One of the discussions my husband and I had about the Recharge was the fact that maintenance for this amazing driving machine would not be like our gas-operated vehicles. No belts, hoses, or gaskets would need replacing down the road. In addition, Volvo offers a well-rounded warranty package on its new cars to keep them in the best performance mode they can be.
The 2021 XC 40 Recharge reframed my whole paradigm for how a car works and caused me to think about it from another perspective. If I had the means to own one today, I absolutely would. It’s so much cleaner for the environment, quieter for a more peaceful driving experience, and peppy in its acceleration to give this woman all the happy feels of a well-made car! I also have peace of mind knowing that my friends down the road at Autobahn Volvo Fort Worth would take exceptional care of “watt-ever” issues arose.
Thank you, Autobahn Fort Worth and Autobahn Fort Worth Volvo, for an incredible driving experience! As usual, the Boulevard of Car Dreams never disappoints!
