[Yashraj]

Originally Posted by nmn.070

That's a fair assessment of it. And quite surprised to know the variety of apps available for touring needs. I guess that we just connect the phone via bluetooth for calls and use the inbuilt system for all else. Am I missing anything in this?

Pretty much yeah. It's quite convenient like that.
But it also comes with a privacy concern.
You see, when you normally use Android Auto, your Maps, Spotify, etc. history usage/history/access is possible only when you connect your phone... which is always with you.

But with Automotive it's just there, logged in. So if your friend/family/valet/driver uses your car, they have access to it as well.
Just couple of days back I'd sent my car to the workshop and I was at the gym and my Spotify track suddenly changed. Why? Because the driver the workshop sent was playing songs of his choice from the car

However, for this you can also set a login pass/pin/pattern swipe in the car, to prevent unauthorized access.


Also, I tried the HOLD function, and yes, I am happy to find it is there just as it was mentioned in the above posts. Thank you guys for pointing it out

[curiosity]

For all the C40 owners, there is a new Car Software update which takes it from the existing 2.11 to 2.12.

A notification came on the phone app first and then one needs to complete the process in the car which was pretty simple. The suggested time was 1.5 hours for the update but mine was done in around 15-20 mins.

As for what the improvements are, it is mentioned that there are minor drivetrain adjustments and that it does not affect performance, certification etc. For the actual driving difference I could not feel any.

[nmn.070]

Quick inputs from the current owners needed -
1. Is it safe to charge from the home charger every night? Concern is with state of health over the years.
2. What is the recommended cap on State of charge % and the amps for charging?
3. how many hours does it take you to charge to the recommended soc with the recommended amps?
4. Can these limits be adjusted using the phone app?

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by nmn.070

Quick inputs from the current owners needed -
1. Is it safe to charge from the home charger every night? Concern is with state of health over the years.

Not an owner of C40 but Nexon EV. Not just is it safe most of the time it is the better option (compared to fast charging). Also from the usability point of view slow charging is the killer feature of EVs and will eliminate the weekly pilgrimage to the fuel station let alone the savings in the cost of ownership due to the reduced domestic electricity charges.

2. What is the recommended cap on State of charge % and the amps for charging?
3. how many hours does it take you to charge to the recommended soc with the recommended amps?
4. Can these limits be adjusted using the phone app?

In general slower the charging the better it is but one also has to balance it with practicality. With modern LFP batteries and BMS the battery pack will easily outlast the car unless something stupid is done or happens. Battery charging and BMS are complex topics for which it is difficult to give clear cut answers. And battery life is not the only aspect to this. Better DTE predictability is a reason why for example many OEMs recommend charging 100% every time. So it is best is to follow the user manual of the car in question.

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by nmn.070

Quick inputs from the current owners needed -
1. Is it safe to charge from the home charger every night? Concern is with state of health over the years.
2. What is the recommended cap on State of charge % and the amps for charging?
3. how many hours does it take you to charge to the recommended soc with the recommended amps?
4. Can these limits be adjusted using the phone app?

Volvo recommends the following;
AC slow charging wherever possible over DC fast charging.
Recommending to charge up if going below 20.
Not to top up to 100% all the time.

Its very much inline with the recommendations from GTO here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...ml#post5328702 (Best practices to home-charge an Electric Car for longer battery life?)

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by electric_eel

In general slower the charging the better it is but one also has to balance it with practicality. With modern LFP batteries and BMS the battery pack will easily outlast the car unless something stupid is done or happens. Battery charging and BMS are complex topics for which it is difficult to give clear cut answers. And battery life is not the only aspect to this. Better DTE predictability is a reason why for example many OEMs recommend charging 100% every time. So it is best is to follow the user manual of the car in question.

Good point but do note that the C40 sold in India comes with NMC which has higher energy density and linear voltage graph making it easier for the car to determine SoC. NMC is also more prone to degradation so I would avoid charging to 100% unless going on very long drives

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

Good point but do note that the C40 sold in India comes with NMC which has higher energy density and linear voltage graph making it easier for the car to determine SoC. NMC is also more prone to degradation so I would avoid charging to 100% unless going on very long drives

Going by the OEMs instruction is the best when one does not know what needs to be done. May be I am wrong but I think XUV400 which is also an NMC based beast recommends charging till 100% every time. I really do not know how the BMS of the car is tuned. May be it already takes care of this situation and keeps an upper buffer.

I would like if OEMs gave a more detailed report of their battery system (because in many ways it is the most complicated stuff in the car) but unfortunately they dont.

[sachind]

Originally Posted by nmn.070

2. The xc40 drivetrain has reports of some vibration at speeds 100-120 through the steering. Another owner said it is not significant. International forums have raised the issue in large numbers with no resolution from Volvo. I do remember reading that the new drivetrain (one in c40 in India) does not have this issue. Could you confirm this please.

Hi I have the xc40 and this was a concern berfore buying and so I did an extensive TD with speeds around 120 kph and did not see this issue. Over last 4 months of ownership experience we have done 2 Mumbai runs and have driven between 100-120 consistently on the expressway and did not feel this etiher so I guess its been resolved in the India spec vehicles.

[nmn.070]

I have seen every major YouTube channel about this car and found the following common opinions. The owners may share their experience for contextualised assessment for India:
1. Interior space isn't bad whatsoever contrary to the small exterior footprint
2. The cabin is not as quiet as you would expect at this price point
3. The car feels overpriced for what it offers in comparison to competitors
4. Android automotive is not very good other than the route planning
It's been difficult to get a fair handle from scavenging YouTube because most reviews that are uploaded are of the older powertrain. Very few of the updated one that we get in the c40 in India. So range and charging speeds that are said to have improved are not covered by automotive media on YT. Even when they say 2023 it's not what we have. For others too, please search for 2024 model only. Even more difficult to spot the right one because the exterior and interior are exactly the same.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by nmn.070

I have seen every major YouTube channel about this car and found the following common opinions. The owners may share their experience for contextualised assessment for India:

Thank you for your inputs. One advantage of Team BHP over YouTubers is that you get a real owners user experience as opposed to a You Tubers views after driving around a little. My experience as an owner below:-

1. Interior space isn't bad whatsoever contrary to the small exterior footprint

Space is very good in the front and just about okay at the back. The spare tyre eating into dickey space is the real downer.

2. The cabin is not as quiet as you would expect at this price point

I find the cabin very quiet. Quieter than my Lexus ES300h. There is effectively no engine sound or vibration except for the soft wheezing sound of tyre on tarmac.

4. Android automotive is not very good other than the route planning

I have Google map on my car as factory fit and that is quite good. Maybe that is what the India cars are getting.

[speedmiester]

Took a test drive of Volvo C40 recharge today. I couldn’t drive it on the highways, it was a short 10kms drive within the city.
Few positives
- Fit and finish, quality of materials as expected for Volvo
- More power and battery range. AWD on demand

Negatives
- Space is at a big premium, while the front passengers space is adequate, the space at the back is lacking big time.
- Upright rear seats will not be comfortable for long drives. It cannot accommodate the 5th passenger because of prominent hump in the middle.
- Most of the controls are through touch screen and this is a big disadvantage for me.
- No regen modes, it’s either one pedal drive which is quite strong or no regen at all.
- No drive modes on offer as well.

All in all, C40 turned out to be a disappointment. I would rather save money and go in for Ioniq5 than C40 any day.

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Took a test drive of Volvo C40 recharge today. ...
All in all, C40 turned out to be a disappointment. I would rather save money and go in for Ioniq5 than C40 any day.

Thats dependant on the perspective actually. In my humble opinion, unfortunately we do not have ANY electric car that ticks all the boxes and even more disastrous is the lack of options we have.

Volvo twins (XC40 and C40) are pure experience oriented electric vehicles. With Volvo's safety, these are real cars that can be taken out safely to get the G kicks that only supercars could otherwise provide. The performance at offer is no match to the price tag it carries. It's a steal at this price point! But at the same time, it is definitely NOT a full family car.

On the other hand, Ioniq is a very capable full on family car, plush quality materials, space et al. But it never gave the 'electric punch' while driving. So thats the trade off with Ioniq. (The humble Nexon is much more 'electrifying' to drive than the Ioniq)

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by nidhikapoor

The petrol Volvos have an 'Auto Hold' button but the c40 does not. You have to double tap the brake. It's a pretty silly mode of implementing the function.

Many European cars have it, it's basically to use at stop lights. Instead of having to put transmission in P where someone rear ending you will kill it. Just stab at brakes to be in park. I know Mercedes, VW, Skoda has it for sure.

[mohanphadnis]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

All in all, C40 turned out to be a disappointment. I would rather save money and go in for Ioniq5 than C40 any day.

I think you mean Kia Ev6, Ioniq 5 is almost 17l cheaper than C40 recharge. Kia Ev6 AWD is only 3l more than C40 recharge.

But it is also marginally slower than C40, 5.2s against 4.7s for 0-100 time. C40 does have the bragging right of being a sub 5s car.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

- No regen modes, it’s either one pedal drive which is quite strong or no regen at all.

The normal default mode does have some softer order regen. The power meter on the right side in the console shows the regeneration taking place as you brake but interestingly not when you coast to a stop. I agree the one pedal regeneration is too strong to be practical.

Originally Posted by nidhikapoor

The petrol Volvos have an 'Auto Hold' button but the c40 does not. You have to double tap the brake. It's a pretty silly mode of implementing the function.

At traffic lights you can either shift to 'N' or double press the brake pedal or tap the 'P' button.