I had "battery not charging" warning yesterday. Stopped as soon as practical and checked under the bonnet. Alternator belt was shredded.

2013 V70 D4 2.0 litre 163hp five cylinder. It has 241,000k on the clock so it might just be wear on the belt.

If not what might be the cause; tired belt, bearing seized or something else? The alternator is spinning freely with no obvious grinding, as is the tensioner, I could not reach the other pulleys.

I checked on YT and there are helpful videos showing how to replace a serpentine belt, takes about 15 to 25 minutes.

As the car is new to me I have no idea what the garage where it was towed to might be charging for repair (searches said they were good local Volvo independent specialist). Which of course will depend on diagnosis on why the belt broke.

Any feedback much appreciated on what might be the cause and potential costs.