Photo for illustrative purposes only.
Find out moreKeeping Winter Range Up in a 2026 Volvo EX40 With the Optional Heat Pump
October mornings are getting cooler, and for an EV shopper that raises a practical question: what does heating the cabin do to the day’s driving? The 2026 Volvo EX40 has an answer in its climate system, and the heat pump is the piece worth understanding before you order.
This guide explains what the heat pump is, how it is offered across the EX40 trims, and how to pair it with the Volvo Cars app for Ontario commutes.
What the EX40 Heat Pump Is
The heat pump is a climate feature listed on its own line in the EX40 equipment levels. It sits next to the electric cabin heater and cooler, which is a separate item. The EX40 also lists a two-zone climate system, a humidity sensor and afterrun parking climate.
The trim you choose decides how you get it:
|
Trim |
Heat pump |
Heated steering wheel |
Heated rear seats |
|
Core |
Optional |
Optional |
Optional |
|
Plus |
Available |
Optional |
Optional |
|
Ultra |
Available |
Available |
Available |
|
Black Edition Ultra |
Available |
Available |
Available |
Core is the only trim where the heat pump is a box you tick. From Plus up, it is part of the trim.
How the Climate System Works Day to Day
The EX40 is a fully electric vehicle with an 82 kWh battery (79 kWh usable) and a Twin Motor setup that makes 402 hp and 494 lb-ft of torque. Warming the cabin is one more electrical load on that battery, which is why the climate hardware matters on a winter commute.
The Volvo Cars app gives you control before you leave. You can pre-climatize the cabin, warm the front seats and the steering wheel, and set a departure time so the cabin reaches the right temperature when you set off. Heated front seats are available on every EX40 trim, so a warm seat is never the reason to move up.
The app also carries charging features aimed at making EV charging more cost-effective. Heated windscreen washer nozzles are optional on Core and Plus and available on Ultra and Black Edition Ultra.
Why It Matters in Real Driving
The EX40 is rated at 418 km of electric range in Twin Motor form. Treat that as a reference point. Winter driving, with colder air, a heated cabin and a cold battery, asks more of the same pack, and the heat pump is the climate-side feature Volvo offers for that job.
Charging is the other half of a winter routine. The Twin Motor EX40 takes 29 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent on a 150 kW DC charger, or 68 minutes on a 50 kW unit. At home, AC charging takes 8 hours at 48 A and 13 hours at 32 A. Those times shift with ambient temperature and with how much the climate system is drawing, so a cold-morning charge can run longer than the table suggests.
All-wheel drive is standard on the Twin Motor, so traction on slick Ontario roads is part of the package. Traction helps you keep moving; it does nothing for range. That is the heat pump’s territory.
Who Benefits Most
The heat pump suits drivers who spend real time in the car through the cold months:
- Commuters on long highway runs, where the cabin heater is on for the whole trip.
- Households that park outside and want the cabin warm before the first buckle-up, using the app’s pre-climatize and departure-time tools.
- Shoppers who already want heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel, since Ultra and Black Edition Ultra carry those along with the heat pump.
If you are looking at Core, the heat pump is the option to price out first. If you are looking at Plus or above, it is already included.
Choosing the 2026 EX40 for Ontario Winters
The EX40 pairs a heat pump (standard from Plus, optional on Core), app-based pre-climatizing and departure scheduling, standard AWD and a 418 km range rating. That set of tools covers the cold-weather commute from the driveway to the charger.
Book a test drive at Volvo Cars Oakville in Oakville and see how the EX40’s climate controls and the Volvo Cars app fit your daily route.
2026 VOLVO EX40
Other News
A Fresh Face and a Smarter Cabin for the 2028 Volvo XC40
The 2028 Volvo XC40 gets a fresh face, a bigger screen, and a safety system with new hardware behind it. For Ontario shoppers already eyeing a...
Read more
Third-Row Climate Control on Every 2026 Volvo XC90 Trim
Third-row seats are only useful if the people sitting in them are comfortable. On the 2026 Volvo XC90, the climate system reaches all the way to...
Read more
What Volvo Just Announced for the 2028 XC60 and XC90
School runs, commutes and weekend errands fill most Ontario weeks, and most of those trips are short. Volvo’s 2028 XC60 and XC90 plug-in hybrids...
Read more