Volvo V90 Recharge hybrid range, MPG, CO2 and charging
Impressive MPG and CO2 figures underline the Volvo V90 hybrid's day-to-day capability as a premium plug-in family car
| Fuel economy | CO2 emissions | Electric range | Wallbox charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105-353mpg | 19-25g/km | 46-53 miles | 5hrs (3.7kW) |
Official testing throws up a fuel-economy figure of up to 353mpg for the Volvo V90 Recharge T6 fitted with the 18.8kWh Volvo introduced for its plug-in hybrid models in September 2021. But you’re still unlikely to match that unless your daily commute is short and you can rely on the 53-mile electric range alone. It is, however, an impressive figure for what's a pretty large and heavy car. When the petrol engine is running without assistance from the battery and electric motor, you can expect to see around 30-35mpg. If you cover high mileages, the V90 T6 won't be a particularly efficient or cost-effective car to run.
Volvo V90 Recharge T6 hybrid range
The V90 Recharge T6 now comes with an 18.8kWh battery, which results in a claimed electric range of up to 53 miles. Older V90 Recharge T8 and some T6 models are supported by an 11.6kWh battery pack. You’ll find that it’s most effective to drive the car on battery power alone in urban environments, despite the claimed 78mph top speed when the car is in ‘Pure’ mode. At higher speeds it’s better to let the petrol engine do the work, as the battery will drain much more quickly.
It depends on how you drive the car and external conditions such as the temperature, but in real-world conditions you can expect slightly less miles of electric driving than the claimed range before you’ll need to plug in, or you can set the engine to charge the battery (which will further dent your fuel economy) to get more electric miles.
Charge time
Plug the Volvo into a three-pin domestic socket and it’ll take around eight hours to replenish the battery pack. A home wallbox will do it faster, but the charge rate is capped at 3.7kW, meaning around five hours is as fast as you can recharge the V90’s batteries, regardless of how powerful the charger you're plugged into might be. If you are planning to regularly top-up the V90 Recharge at public chargers, this might not be the best PHEV for you.
While Volvo once charged for a Type 2 cable – which you'll need for public chargers – this is now included. The batteries are covered by an eight-year warranty, which includes free repairs for any ‘material defects’, but doesn't guarantee against loss of battery capacity over time, which can’t be avoided.
