What EV Charger Do You Need for a 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge twin?
Many owners buy an oversized eighty amp charger, but your Volvo cannot draw that much power. Buying a larger unit wastes money on hardware the car ignores. You need a forty eight amp Level 2 setup to charge overnight.
The numbers
| Maximum AC charging rate | 11.0 kW (48 A) |
|---|---|
| Charger size to buy | 48 A |
| Circuit breaker required | 60 A |
| Outlet / connection | hardwired (a 48 A EVSE must be hardwired -- no household receptacle is rated for it) |
| Charge port | J1772 |
| Full charge on Level 2 | about 8.0 hours |
| Range added per hour (Level 2) | about 28 miles |
| Full charge on a 120 V outlet | about 61 hours |
| Range added per hour (120 V) | about 3.7 miles |
| EPA rated range | 223 miles |
| Energy for a full charge | about 87.9 kWh at the wall |
Why 48 amps and not more
Your car has a maximum onboard acceptance rate of forty eight amps at eleven kilowatts. Plugging into a sixty amp breaker delivers the peak rate. Hooking this car up to a fifty amp or eighty amp circuit changes nothing because the onboard charger limits the draw. You get a full battery in eight hours. That speed adds twenty eight miles of range every hour.
What the install involves
A forty eight amp charger must be hardwired directly into the electrical panel because no household outlet handles that continuous load. You need a sixty amp breaker and heavy gauge copper wiring. Hire a licensed electrician for this work. Local codes require a permit and a hardwired connection for safety.
Chargers that match this car
Energy monitoring built in. Hardwire it for the full 48 A.
Compact unit, good for tight garages.
Adjustable from 16 A to 50 A in the app, which helps if your panel is tight.
Worth having as well
Common questions
- Can I plug this car into a standard wall outlet?
- Yes, but Level 1 charging takes sixty one hours for a full tank. It adds three point seven miles of range per hour. You will want a Level 2 setup for daily driving.
- What plug does the car use?
- The car uses a J1772 connector for Level 2 charging. Every non Tesla electric vehicle sold in North America through 2024 uses this standard.
- Does the EPA rating change my charge time?
- The EPA rated Level 2 charge time matches the car peak rate at eight hours. You will recover the full two hundred twenty three mile range in that timeframe.
- What happens if I use a fifty amp charger?
- The car caps its intake at forty eight amps. A fifty amp hardwired unit like the ChargePoint Home Flex will run slightly below its maximum output.
Other vehicles
Charging times derived from EPA data for the 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge twin. Electrical requirements follow NEC 625.41, which sizes a circuit at 125% of a continuous load. Always have a licensed electrician verify your panel.