Does anyone have an idea of how long it would take to recharge the battery to 100% just by the "charge" mode. (not plugging it in)

 

You might know by the users manual or contacting the dealer

 

I was able to get an approximate answer. Its about 1 mile driven = 0.7 mile on the battery.

 

This is helpful - thanks.

 

I sell Volvos and did my own test on a 2023 Recharge XC60

 

also keep in mind most EVs and hybrids do a fast charge to about 80% then slow to a trickle to get to 100% (as a way of protecting the battery life).

 

I have done this twice now in the last couple of months. With the battery depleted to 0 miles, t takes me 37 miles of driving (at 50-65 mph with a few stop lights) to recharge back to 36 miles electrical. My mileage dropped from the ~30 mpg I get in basic hybrid mode to 21.5 mpg while charging. The "fast charge" penalty is a non-factor when charging up with this method.

 

Charging while driving has always intrigued me, but admittedly I do not fully understand it. I assumed that the car would use at least as much extra gas (in mileage terms) charging the car as it gains in electric only mileage. If you can generate more electric only mileage than you give up in extra gas mileage, it seems like this mode should almost be the default for highway driving: charge, then flip to electric only when charged, charge again when electric is depleted, and again flip back to electric when charged.

 

I think it probably only makes sense when you can recharge the battery during an efficient part of the journey, such as along the highway, and then avoid using the petrol engine during portions of the journey where a petrol engine is relatively inefficient, such as stop start city traffic. It would take more gas to charge the battery to 30 miles capacity then it would to drive 30 miles on the gas engine when on the highway. However, it may take much less gas to charge to 30 miles of EV range than it would to use the petrol engine for 30 miles of stop/start city driving.

 

Thanks Philip. That’s how I have always thought of it, but in the above example it seems like he is getting 36 electric miles for less than a gallon of extra gas going 55. At that speed he can go the 36 electric miles (assuming a pretty flat highway) generated from less gas than he would use for those 36 miles with the gas engine. Anyway, I completely agree with you and that is how I have used it couple of times (highway travel on the way to a congested city). Thanks