1) I suspect the 18.8 kW battery will fit, as they’ve just added cells. It probably adds the equivalent of 1 passenger in body weight (thus reducing load carrying, but a decent trade-off). The added range would almost certainly give me enough range that all local driving could be in PURE mode. If there is the ability to just “add cells”, that could be tantalizing depending on the cost. I agree that $10-$15k is a bit much to go from ~22-24 miles (real, non-winter miles) to ~34-40 miles.
2) I agree that the ERAD is the more urgent matter, in that it’s VERY hilly where I live and the V60 can’t keep to the speed limit on uphill without the ICE coming on – this is very annoying. The ~150 HP is needed as the 87 HP motor is the real lacking point in this car (much less so than the battery). I can’t imagine that the ~2x more powerful motor is also not 2x the weight…presumably it fits.
3) I personally like very much the 2020 version of regen braking, as it behaves the way I drive in town (turning overdrive off to provide gentle braking when lifting off the accelerator). Growing up with a manual tranny, I’ve always used gear selection to provide gentle engine braking and greatly prefer it to that feeling of coasting that automatics give. So I am not particularly enamored about the notion of “one-pedal” driving. IMHO, Volvo engineers nailed it when they set the B mode in my 2020 V60. So I don’t want to upgrade to a one-pedal model.
4) I also understand that my 2020 V60 paddle shifters didn’t make the cut. I’m not as proficient in using them as I could be, but don’t operate in PE mode very often. Am thinking about taking my car to the Watkins Glen track though, for driver training, where I probably will like having paddle shifting. It would just be so cool to drive the Glen! Another reason to keep the 2020 MY.
5) With the larger ERAD and battery, I’m wondering if, as has been mentioned, the wiring in my 2020 MY is adequate (not just the harnesses, but a motor with ~2x the power will need ~2x the current, and thus the gauge of wires is important…and mounting bolts, and power take off…etc.).
6) Then, of course, there’s the controller software. Does the computer “see” nothing more than just a bigger battery (when charging and discharging)? And what of the transition point between the ERAD and the ICE…how does the computer see/sense the proper transition?
7) Who knows…gotta be something else I haven’t thought of….probably something like needing to ditch the existing operating system and install the new one, which may not be 100% compatible.
Thus, if an “upgrade”, rather than trade-in, is possible, more me that would be much preferred. I suspect the technically easier upgrade is the battery, but the more useful one would be the ERAD…though I suspect the ERAD upgrade may not be do-able.
I’m very much interested in what anyone learns on this matter.