Volvo EX30: The Swedish Automaker’s Smallest EV Yet

Volvo’s newest SUV is also its smallest. The Swedish automaker’s all-electric EX30 was revealed Wednesday in Milan and streamed online after it was first teased last month with many clues about its small stature. Tons of tiny tidbits have emerged in the past weeks about its safety and sustainability, but now we have a bigger picture.

The newest EV is part of Volvo’s ongoing plan to only produce battery-powered vehicles by 2030. Volvo now has four all-electric options: the original XC40 Recharge (which debuted in 2020 and recently gained a single-motor variant), the crossover-coupe like C40 Recharge, the upcoming midsize EX90 and the now-revealed EX30. 

The EX30 is not only the automaker’s smallest EV yet, it also claims the smallest carbon footprint of any Volvo vehicle.

Small SUV, Big Style

While exact dimensions haven’t been revealed, the nomenclature gives some indication. It’s the only 30 in the Volvo lineup, falling behind the XC40 (and Recharge) and C40 Recharge, which are a petite 174.8 inches long. It’s a two-row compact SUV seating five with a typical hatchback cargo area. 

The EX30 looks decidedly Volvo with digital Thor’s Hammer headlights and five paints including Sweden-inspired colors like Cloud Blue and Moss Yellow. It features short overhangs and a long wheelbase with the battery sitting low along the base. Although it has four doors, the EX30 follows a traditional Volvo recipe of offering smaller, style-conscious companions to its regular products like the old C30 hatchback coupe.

Battery Options

The EX30 offers two powertrains. The Single Motor Extended Range features a lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt battery with 275-mile estimated range. The Twin Motor Performance uses the same battery with a second e-motor for all-wheel drive. This variant is expected to offer 422 horsepower and go from zero-to-60 in 3.4 seconds, which will make it the fastest Volvo ever, well ahead of the gas-powered Polestar-engineered S60.

The battery can charge at up to a rate of 153 kW, which should get it from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes even on a 150 kW DC fast charger.

Not-So-Small Safety and Tech Features

Volvo has long relied on its reputation for safety and continues that expectation with a door alert for oncoming cyclists and runners on the passenger and driver side doors and an improved seat belt system and crash-ready design.

The central touchscreen is again powered with Google built-in as the native infotainment system as seen in other new Volvo SUVs, sedans and wagons. The car has an updated Park Pilot Assist system to help with assisted parking. With a software based system, it can be updated with over-the-air updates.

More aesthetically, ambient lighting includes five themes inspired by Scandinavian landscapes like sunshine in a forest, sunset on the west coast of Sweden, the northern lights, the summer sky and a more urban city scene. A customized soundscape matches each theme.

How Much Will the Volvo EX30 Cost? When Will it be Available?

Reservations opened in the U.S. Wednesday after the global debut was livestreamed. Production is expected to follow the much larger EX90 electric SUV, which will be made at Volvo’s plant in South Carolina with deliveries expected into 2024 after initial delays.

The EX30 was revealed with the starting price of $34,950. A subscription option, called Care by Volvo, is available in Europe for 599 Euros per month. The Care program is offered here in the U.S., though it’s not clear if the EX30 will be included once it arrives.

Another version of the EX30, called the Cross Country and mirroring the company’s V60 and V90 models, will be available to order in 2024 with production starting later that year. This adventure version will have more ground clearance, 19-inch wheels, skid plates, black panels on the front bumper and trunk lid and special Cross Country markings.