Volkswagen is one of many automakers which have committed to electrifying the future with EVs. Volvo has made a similar commitment, and as with VW, Volvo has already started making and selling EVs. Both the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Volvo C40 Recharge are pretty good EVs, but here’s a look at which of these two European automakers’ EVs is better.

A look at the Volvo C40 Recharge

As its name implies, Volvo’s EVs will all be part of the Recharge lineup. Volvo plans to continue evolving and growing the Recharge lineup, and one of its newest members is the C40 Recharge. As Autoblog wrote, the C40 Recharge is set to debut in the 2022 model year, and that means that production of the car will start soon enough.

The C40 Recharge will be somewhat unique, as it’ll be what Volvo is calling a “crossover coupe.” As far as pricing goes, it won’t be cheap, as it’ll only be available in one trim at launch. As Autoblog said, it’ll have a starting price tag of just under $60,000, but at least Volvo customers can still get the $7,500 EV tax credit.

As far as the C40 Recharge’s specs go, it should get about 260-miles of range, and it can be recharged from 0 to 80% in about 40 minutes. Its 0 to 60 mph time is also about 4.9 seconds, and of course, it has a luxurious and high-tech interior. This interior will also be completely leather-free.

The Volkswagen ID.4 is more practical and less luxurious

Since Volkswagen isn’t a luxury brand like Volvo is, the ID.4 comes with fewer luxury features. After all, the ID.4 is a great EV for many drivers. That being said, just like Volvo, Volkswagen’s EV plan also involves grouping all of its EVs into one lineup. However, VW’s lineup is called the ID. series, and each car has a relatively unremarkable, if simple, name. 

The Volkswagen ID.4 isn’t the fourth car from the series to enter the market, but it’s one of the few ID. series cars that are available right now. Off the bat, the ID.4 starts at about $40,000. Therefore, since VW customers can also get the $7,500 EV tax credit, it’ll be even cheaper when all’s said and done. 

As far as specs go, the ID.4 can get 260 miles on a single charge, and that’s about the same as the C40 Recharge’s capabilities. The ID.4 can also be fast-charged, and it can get about 62 miles of range after fast charging for 10 minutes. When it comes to the ID.4’s interior, it seems advanced and upscale while also clearly not being a luxury car. It features a 10-inch touch screen display, among other things.

Is the C40 Recharge or the ID.4 better?

Since the C40 Recharge is a luxury electric SUV, while the ID.4 is a more regular electric SUV, the better SUV ultimately depends on what customers want from their EV. After all, Volvo customers will have to spend about $20,000 more on the C40 Recharge than Volkswagen customers will on the ID.4. However, customers who can spend that type of money can also reap the benefits of it.  

However, as far as the fundamentals go, they’re both pretty good. Both models have about the same range and can be fast-charged. For customers who are only looking at those fundamentals, the ID.4 is probably the better bet, mostly due to the ID.4 being $20,000 cheaper than the C40 Recharge.