I did a formal test of the mileage on electric power.
Driving a brand new (same day as delivery), fully charged T8 at a cruise control-fixed 55 mph along the (mostly flat) M25 I got 25 miles before the engine cut in. Volvo claim "up to 27 miles" but I'm happy with the mileage I got.
I plug in after every journey and am finding that, for school runs and trips to town, the electric is fine and I never have to use the engine. The electric power does all the heating as well so no problem with winter driving. Recharging from flat using a normal cable doesn't seem very long - perhaps 4 or 5 hours - but I haven't formally measured this.
One curious thing is that despite running on electric nearly all the time the fuel (petrol) gauge seems to be slowly running down as if the car is 'secretly' using fuel. I will keep an eye on this and see if the fuel is really be used or if it's a result of 'drift' owing to the fuel level being calculated rather than measured.
Please note that the 'Pure' driving mode is not pure. If you accelerate hard or you run out of electric it will cut in and 'help' which I guess is fine for most drivers but, speaking as an anal technologist, I want to be in control and would prefer Volvo to allow the driver to decide what the car is going to do rather than some programmer.
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