Volvo’s new EX30 EV has sustainability, affordability and efficiency at its core
Its the smallest EV from Volvo but also the fastest-accelerating car ever by the brand
Small is the new big – a statement that doesn’t substantiate the ongoing onslaught of SUVs in the auto industry, but it describes what Volvo’s latest SUV launch means to the Swedish brand. The EX30 is an all-new, all-electric SUV by Volvo, the first small premium SUV for the brand and its smallest SUV yet. The list of superlatives continues, with the EX30 being the fastest accelerating car from Volvo and having the lowest CO2 overall footprint of any Volvo car ever. With prices starting at around EUR 36,000 (or around $38,600), the EX30 boasts a similar price as an internal combustion engine-powered equivalent, with the car available to order in select markets.
With the launch of the new EX30, Volvo expanded its electrified line-up to four products. The remaining EV lot comprises the EX90, the XC40 Recharge and the C40 Recharge. While the EX30 retails as the smallest offering from the brand, Volvo has brimmed the car to the gills with the latest features to make it pack a punch.
Before we get into technology, Volvo EX30’s radical exterior and interior design can’t be given a miss. The absence of any form of grille up front, an all-new rear profile, and an electrified take on the Volvo’s signature Thor hammer LED headlights debuts a fresh look for the car. The cabin boasts a square-ish steering wheel with no instrument cluster positioned before it. The speedometer duties get integrated into the humongous portrait infotainment screen, crowning the dashboard. The infotainment system further houses the controls for the side mirrors, the air-con controls and practically everything there is to configure on the EX30. The doors get no buttons nor any speaker systems as the latter, now a giant sound bar unit, get integrated on top of the dashboard. Minimalism appears to be the core of the EX30’s cabin design, with hideaway compartments integrated beneath the dashboard and on the protruding centre console.
Sustainability must’ve been the leading factor when the EX30’s initial blueprint was devised. Because the EX30 makes use of recycled aluminium for a quarter of its exterior application, along with 17 per cent recycled steel. Repurposed plastics adorn about one-fifth of the interior materials, extending to carpets made entirely from reclaimed plastic bottles.
Options galore with the EX30 in the aspect of interior upholstery and powertrains. For the former, customers get to choose from four themes. Each offers unique upholstery from natural and recycled materials such as wool, flax and even upcycled denim fibres. The latter comprises three powertrain options and two different battery types. The entry-level option is a single-motor option with an LFP (a cost-effective blend of lithium iron phosphate chemistry) battery that’s good only for commutes within the city. The requirements of a bigger range can be fulfilled with a single motor extended range variant with an NMC (lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt combination) battery to offer up to 480km between charges.
The third option caters to those with performance as a priority by picking the Twin Motor Performance variant that produces 428hp and makes the 0-100kph sprint in 3.6 seconds. Opting for the performance variants also gets you fast charging capabilities of up to 153kW. For context, the standard car can handle up to 134kW. This entails that charging the battery from 10 to 80 per cent takes a little over 25 minutes.
It’s been known for years that Volvo regards passenger safety as paramount, and with the EX30, it also extends to passersby. The EX30 gets a special safety feature for bikes that helps prevent so-called ‘dooring’ accidents by throwing alerts when you are about to open your door in front of a cyclist, scooter or runner. The EX30 becomes the first Volvo to carry the brand’s new-gen Park Pilot Assist feature capable of handling all parking spaces, including parallel, curved, perpendicular and diagonal fishbone-style.
Starting next year, the Volvo EX30 will also become available as a Cross Country variant. Order books for this special version of our small electric SUV will open in 2024, with production expected to start later that year.
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