Volvo EX30 Compact Electric SUV: 5 Unique Traits
The first-ever Volvo EX30 may be the manufacturer’s smallest and most affordable electric vehicle, but it packs plenty of innovations and unique features to make it a very tempting buy for those looking to purchase a small battery-powered premium crossover.
It has the same family design that Volvo has employed for other models in its EX series of fully electric vehicles, but it is lower-slung and sportier looking. This sportier design is actually backed up by real performance numbers since, in its most powerful dual-motor guise, the EX30 is the quickest-accelerating production Volvo ever.
Here are all the things that should make you take note of this new electric Volvo.
1. It’s Volvo’s Most Affordable EV
With a starting price in the US of $34,950, the EX30 Single Motor Extended Range is the most affordable way to get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric Volvo, and it also undercutsvery popular EVs like the Tesla Model 3. This version comes with just one 268-horsepower motor that drives the rear wheels and a 64-kWh battery pack, which is the only one you can get in North America.
Volvo is also keen to point out that even though the EX30 is fully electric and has a big and expensive battery pack, its pricing is comparable to that of a similar-size internal combustion engine crossover.
2. It’s the Smallest Volvo
Even though in the photos it may not look too different from the EX90 that Volvo showed in late 2022, the EX30 is, in fact, considerably smaller. Measuring just 166.6 inches in length, it’s slightly shorter than an eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf, although it is marginally wider and taller than one.
This makes it the smallest Volvo that you can currently buy, regardless of power plant choice. Its petite dimensions will make it appealing to people who do most of their driving in town.
3. It Can Accelerate to 60 mph in Under 4 Seconds
Believe it or not, this small crossover is the quickest-accelerating Volvo production car ever. In its more powerful EX30 Twin Motor Performance configuration, its two motors produce a combined 422 horsepower, enough to catapult this little crossover to 60 mph in a remarkable 3.4 seconds.
4. It Has Up to 275 Miles of Range
With the 64 kWh battery pack, the EX30 is expected to achieve a range of 275 miles on the EPA test cycle in its most efficient single-motor configuration. The dual-motor performance model won’t be able to match it, but it offers such impressive acceleration that buyers will surely be able to overlook the lower range.
Charging the EX30’s larger battery can be done at up to 153 kW, enough to bring the state of charge from 10 to 80 percent in under 27 minutes. In other markets, Volvo will also offer the EX30 with a smaller 49 kWh battery pack, which will also have a lower charging rate of 134 kW.
5. Its Interior Is Unique and Highly Customizable
Volvo is seen as a manufacturer that values simple, minimalist interior design, but if you’ve been in a model built after 2015, you will surely have noticed some stronger design choices. The automaker is looking to appeal to the kinds of people that would buy a vehicle like the EX30, which is why it’s offering no fewer than four different interior trim choices, as well as five styles of mood lighting that come with unique ambient soundscapes.
The EX30 also has an actual soundbar embedded in the dashboard, right below the windshield. This is a world first, and Volvo says it really improves the experience of listening to music inside the car.
Also worth mentioning about the EX30’s interior is the fact that it only has a central infotainment screen. There’s no separate driver’s display, but Volvo says it has worked hard with tech companies like Google, Apple, and chipset maker Qualcomm to make the user experience a highlight.
The Right Vehicle at the Right Time
Before the EX30, Volvo didn’t have an entrant in the hotly contested compact electric crossover segment, one of the fastest-growing in the industry. With its combination of pleasant Swedish design, performance, and tech, Volvo hopes this small high-rider will tempt buyers away from smaller electric vehicles made by Lexus, Genesis, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz’s wide range of dedicated EVs.
The Volvo EX30 will enter production later in 2023 in China, and it should start reaching owners around the world in early 2024.
Mercedes has developed an entirely separate range of electric vehicles that it sells alongside its traditional combustion cars.
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