Volvo’s next EV is here, and it’s affordable—the $34,950 EX30

The front half of a Volvo EX30 peeking out behind a wall
Enlarge / At a time when it seems like every automaker is making cars larger and more expensive, the EX30 is a welcome alternative to that trend.

For a while now, Volvo has been teasing a new, smaller electric car. And on Wednesday morning, the company finally unveiled its latest creation. It’s called the EX30, and it ticks a pair of boxes many readers want: it’s small and affordable.

The headline figure is the starting price. At $34,950 here in the US, it’s one of the most affordable EVs available (before taking into account any tax credits)—joining the Chevrolet Bolt twins, Nissan Leaf, Mini Electric, and Hyundai Kona Electric in the sub-$35,000 club. And as we noted previously, Volvo says this car will have the lowest carbon footprint of any car it has sold, at below 30 metric tons after 124,274 miles (200,000 km).

Small, safe, efficient—what's to dislike?
Enlarge / Small, safe, efficient—what’s to dislike?

And it’s pretty compact, too. At 166.6 inches (4,232 mm) long, 72.3 inches (1,837 mm) wide, and 61.2 inches (1,555 mm) tall, it’s a bit bigger than a Chevrolet Bolt but a bit smaller than a Chevrolet Bolt EUV. There’s no baby-swallowing front fascia to be scared of, either—in keeping with Volvo’s corporate ethos, this is a humane design.

Volvo is offering two powertrain options for the EX30 in the US, both of which use the same 64 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. (The chemistry is nickel manganese cobalt; there’s also a smaller 49 kWh lithium iron phosphate pack available in Europe.) The Single Motor Extended Range version uses a rear-mounted 268 hp (200 kW), 253 lb-ft (343 Nm) electric motor for an estimated range of 275 miles (443 km).

For Volvo drivers who want a bit more acceleration and don’t mind recharging a bit more often, there will be a Twin Motor Performance variant. This adds a second electric motor for the front axle for a total output of 422 hp (315 kW) and 400 lb-ft (543 Nm). The range estimate drops slightly, to 265 miles (426 km), but this EX30 can hit 60 mph from a standstill in 3.4 seconds, making it the quickest production Volvo in history. Pricing for this version has not been announced yet.

When it’s time to replenish, the 64 kWh NMC pack can charge at up to 153 kW, which should bring it from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in under 27 minutes.

As it’s a Volvo, you can expect plenty of standard safety tech. For example, a new addition to the suite of blind spot monitors helps prevent you from “dooring” a cyclist.

  • The EX30’s interior is more minimalist than most Volvos.

  • A look at the rear seats.

  • Google is still heavily integrated into the infotainment system.

The interior is on the more minimalist side—like some Teslas and the Vinfast VF8, there’s no display directly in front of the driver, just a large central infotainment screen. As with other Volvos, Google is built into the car, and you can use your phone both as a digital key and a way to interact with some of the car’s functions.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1946035