2025 Volvo EX30 EV bows at $34,950, 275 miles, available AWD

Small-car lovers who lament the lack of affordable electric compact cars may get a jolt of energy from Volvo’s reveal on Wednesday of its EX30. The fully electric small SUV, set to include a more rugged Cross Country variant, is a key piece of its lineup as it transitions to all-EV—one that will start at $34,950, likely not including destination, with available dual-motor all-wheel drive.

Volvo says that’s a starting price similar to that of a comparable gasoline vehicle—and that’s before considering that the EX30’s total cost of ownership will be lower than any current Volvo EV and lower than other fully electric luxury rivals. 

As the company previously disclosed, the EX30 is projected to have the lowest carbon footprint of any Volvo ever made. The EX30 is due to be built in China. The automaker hasn’t yet detailed whether it will might be built in another place as well—as Volvo’s larger EX90 electric SUV is due to be built both in China and in South Carolina.

EX30 range, charging, acceleration

The EX30 brings with it a whole bunch of pretty impressive numbers. The single-motor rear-wheel-drive extended-range version starts around $35,000 and will return up to 275 projected miles, according to Volvo, although it doesn’t point out specifically whether these are EPA-cycle miles. It will get a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery chemistry in a size not disclosed on Wednesday but reported to be 69 kwh. In Twin Motor versions, amounting to all-wheel drive, the EX30 will be able to fast-charge from 10-80% in “a little over 26.5 minutes,” according to Volvo, at a peak charge power of up to 153 kw. 

The 422-hp Twin Motor versions of the EX30 will be able to accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds—making this relatively affordable vehicle its fastest-accelerating vehicle ever. 

“There is a growing demand from consumers globally for small, fully electric premium SUVs,” Volvo explained in a press release on the model, perhaps clarifying how it sees the model fitting into today’s EV market. It could be positioned quite closely against the Kia Niro EV or Hyundai Kona Electric, and it’s expected to be a few inches smaller all around than the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge models, but at the time of writing Volvo hasn’t yet disclosed dimensions.

All the Volvo cues, with Google inside

The EX30 has a chunky tall-wagon profile, and from first glance it appears not to emphasize ground clearance and off-road prowess. Instead, it’s a hatchback with a rather tall roof that arcs smoothly. A beltline wraps subtly from the front around the sides, and resolves in back as a ledge that splits vertical taillights. Bitmapped headlamps borrow the Thor’s Hammer design plus some of their look from the upcoming EX90, and with a blunt nose, it echoes some Volvo’s familial front-end design but without the grille. Further, Volvo says that there will be five vibrant exterior hues that may very well stand out from the colors you’re used to seeing on newer Volvos. 

Buyers will be able to choose from one of four distinct interior rooms (themes). The EX30 also offers the “immersion” of ambient lighting themes harking to Scandinavia, paired with ambient soundscapes. 

The 12.3-inch single-touchscreen interface, in a layout much like that of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, will have Google built-in, as well as digital-key functionality provided through a wide range of phones. Volvo says that the EX30 will be ready for over-the-air software updates that “will make it better over time.”

Expect a full set of active safety items, including a safety feature that prevents “dooring” accidents with bicyclists or runners.

Volvo EX30 Cross Country coming

Volvo also says that the EX30 will be offered in a Cross Country version next year, with more ground clearance, skid plates, black panels, and 19-inch black wheels, with available 18-inch wheels. Volvo’s also putting a Swedish flag on the hood. Order books for the EX30 Cross Country will start in 2024 for that model and production is due later in the year. 

Internationally, Volvo points out that the buying process will be through VolvoCars.com, and it will also be making the EX30 available via Care by Volvo subscription packages, starting in Europe at 599 euros ($640) a month. For U.S. customers, it clearly points out that a reservation doesn’t guarantee availability of the selected trim, and that “retailer price may vary.”

Volvo says that it plans to sell only electric vehicles by 2030, and it’s aiming for half of its sales already by mid-decade to consist of EVs. 

Volvo announced in 2021 a shift to online sales in the U.S. starting with its 2022-model-year EVs, as well as a purchase process without markups, negotiation, and haggling, with “transparent and set pricing models,” but after dealer pushback that has not yet arrived. Ford is enacting a no-haggle pricing policy with its EVs starting in 2024.