The Earth is in danger, its natural resources and fragile ecological balance at risk of being permanently destroyed by humanity’s ongoing toxicity.
We all have a responsibility to change the way we live. To give the Earth a chance to breathe, and to allow future generations of people, plants and animals to experience the beauty and magic of the world.
Little things like bringing your own reusable cup to the coffee shop, buying dry goods and refills from a BYO container shop, and choosing second-hand products whenever possible all add up, but it’s important to remember that big changes are needed. There are also fields.
One of these areas is transportation, where electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to someday become the norm, replacing gas-guzzling gasoline vehicles. Volvo is the first established car manufacturer to commit to full electrification and aims to sell only pure electric cars by 2030.
They have generously given us the opportunity to see what EVs are like, and to see for ourselves that they are just as efficient as traditional gasoline and diesel cars. They lent me their C40 Recharge for a week.
And with the added caveat that I’ll have to drive to and from a leafy Hampshire health retreat to make sure I’m really putting it through its paces and testing as many features as possible. I did.
It was an irresistible invitation to a five-star bolthole that was as luxurious and environmentally conscious as the car itself. Our final destination, Heckfield Place, has no single-use plastics on site, only serves seasonally grown food (from our on-site kitchen garden and farm), and offers a real-life experience. There are lots of nice outdoor spaces to relieve stress.
But first I had to hold tight to my new whip, as I’ll tell you more about my dreamy destination later…
5 things I learned after driving a Volvo C40 electric car for a week
1. Get ready to relearn the basics
Sitting behind the steering wheel, I suddenly felt completely overwhelmed. I’ve been driving his car for almost 22 years and I’ve sat in it with no idea how to turn it on. There was also no ignition to insert the key. Allows the key to “pop” out of the thick Volvo fob.
To start your Volvo C40, simply place the key inside the car. that’s all. That wasn’t the only thing that took a little getting used to. The lack of a physical engine makes this car incredibly quiet to drive.
But starting the car wasn’t the only time I felt completely confused about the basics.
The first time I tried to charge my car, I had a hard time figuring out how to open the hood. There’s no engine in there, and the hood is used to hold the car’s series of chargers. Then I realized I couldn’t reach the charger under the hood. Charging point, and final insult, I realized I was completely at the wrong charger.
The Uber drivers parked nearby looked at me and grinned. Was this a rite of passage for all EV drivers, or was I really just an idiot?
Despite my initial fear of having to live forever in the noise, filth, and underpowered SUV of the A13, I quickly found a charging spot on Google Maps and was on my way. I found that having access to Google Assistant was one of the many benefits of having his Wi-Fi in the car (thanks to the tethered connection to my phone).
Another feature of this car that took me a while to get used to is the one-pedal drive. Designed with city driving (i.e. heavy stop/start traffic) in mind, you can smoothly drive your car by simply pressing and releasing the gas pedal. No brake pedal required. However, once I got the hang of it, I really liked the “go-kart atmosphere”. And when it came time to get back on the regular wheel, this is what I missed more than anything.
2. Charging *takes time*
The aim of Volvo’s Recharge Retreat was to encourage everyone to slow down and enjoy moments of calm and tranquility. I was in exactly such a situation when I came to charge my car. To be honest, I was very happy to be able to enjoy some quiet time and read a book, but it can also be quite stressful, especially when you can’t charge your car in the driveway or when you’re stuck in traffic. It is clear that it is possible. Hurry.
It was reported that so many people needed to charge their EVs over Christmas, leading to chaotic scenes and long lines. That’s because there are very few charging points at the moment, and unlike charging a regular car, it takes less than five minutes. And-out work. I felt a sliver of that pressure during one charging session when I felt the Lexus driver slowly circle the petrol station forecourt and shoot daggers at me, smashing through the pages of a book. .
However, batteries don’t only charge when connected to a power source. Regenerative braking means your car recovers the saved energy when you release the gas pedal or use the foot brake.
3. I felt really safe
As standard in all Volvo cars, safety is at the heart of the C40 Recharge’s design. Its award-winning safety technology helps drivers detect and avoid collisions, stay in their lane, and reduce the impact if they accidentally veer off the road.
The car comes standard with sensors that keep an eye on the road ahead (and around and behind you), allowing the car to “see” and react to obstacles with great precision. It also has a pedestrian and bicycle detection system.
4. Volvo C40 Recharge is very environmentally friendly
Many people are reluctant to buy EVs because of the ecological damage and child slavery associated with cobalt mining. This is a rare metal that is essential for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries that power devices and EVs.
To combat this, Volvo has committed to providing customers with full traceability, giving them peace of mind that the materials in their batteries are responsibly sourced. To do this, they are using blockchain technology to monitor the raw material supply chain. This means that information about the origin of the material cannot be changed undetected.
Inside, the door inserts are made from recycled drinks bottles and other “ocean-bonded” plastics, and the seats are made from recycled wool and vegan leather.
5. Long distance possible
The Volvo C40 has a range of around 260 miles on a full charge, which is more than I expected and enough to get me to Heckfield Place near Hook in Hampshire. When we arrived, we were exhausted from rush hour traffic on the M25 and M3, but more than ready for some RnR. The C40 was also able to slowly charge overnight off-site.
This hotel is without a doubt one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed in my life. The estate is a Grade II listed Georgian manor house set in 438 acres of meadows, woodland and parkland and has been carefully restored by current owner Gerald Chan.
With a zero-single-use plastic policy, all bedroom furniture was made from luxurious reclaimed wood and rattan, and all bathroom amenities were packaged in refillable glass bottles. Looking around, I was immediately embarrassed by the amount of plastic I have in my house and have used throughout my life, and vowed to pay more attention to this.
In the cozy bedroom snack cabinet, freshly made juices and oat milk were waiting in small glass jars, and metal cans filled with freshly ground coffee and tea leaves. As for snacks, the freshly baked flapjacks and apples from the home garden were delicious.
The Heckfield has two restaurants, Hearth and Marle, the latter set within a gorgeous orange grove in the hotel’s established walled garden. Both menus were colorful and full of flavour, with all ingredients sourced from the organic and biodynamic Heckfield Home Farm.
As part of the experience, we were asked to pick out rental clothes from Herr to wear to dinner. This was a nice touch considering that an estimated 350,000 tons of clothing ends up in landfills every year.
Before heading home, we had a chance to get back to nature by swimming in the cool water in the pond and taking a forest bath. They were joined by proud Volvo and his C40 driver Alice Living, who spoke to WH about his love for the outdoors.
When I left the shelter that afternoon, C40 wasn’t the only one who felt ready for the next adventure…