Volvo EX30’s incredible acceleration was an accident…and other fun details
After revealing the gorgeous little EX30 last week, Volvo gave us some access to the folks involved in crafting the vehicle, which allowed us to glean some details about the EV that everyone is talking about…
Akhil Krishnan, project manager for Volvo, sat down with us in the EX30’s surprisingly spacious but still intimate cabin to discuss the thinking. On the 3.4-second 0-60, he noted:
“The acceleration is actually a byproduct of everything else we’ve done with the EX30. Because it’s a smaller car […] and we’ve worked on taking away superfluous items and weight.”
While aerodynamics doesn’t play a huge role in 0-60 acceleration, it does play a role. Getting the vehicle weight down was probably a bigger factor, however.
Volvo’s goal was to have a premium experience in the RWD version, which means it put a 268-horsepower motor in the rear. In an internal combustion engine vehicle, adding AWD doesn’t necessarily mean adding horsepower. In fact, due to the inefficiencies of piping power from one power plant all over the car, there’s often less total power in an AWD internal combustion engine than its RWD counterpart.
However, adding a small 154-horsepower motor to the front wheels yields a total of 422 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. With a car this light, it suddenly matches the 3.4 seconds 0-60 of the Kia EV6 GT and some Porsches and Ferraris.
Why didn’t the X/C40 see this kind of power output? I was told that there were a lot of legacy ICE inefficiencies in the design. The EX30 was designed from the beginning to be an electric vehicle.
The whole interview above is worth a listen, and Krishnan talks at length about the interior decisions that the company made to arrive where we are.
After the reveal, I also got some time with Björn Annwall, chief commercial officer & deputy CEO, who was even more emphatic that the speed was an accident and a byproduct of other things. My interview questions went something like this:
Seth: So, you kind of have a problem from a high-level strategy perspective where your fastest car is also your cheapest car.
Bjorn: You would if you were I would say not for me or a BMW, but if you’re a Volvo where no Volvo customer actually buys Volvo for their acceleration or the kind of the noise of the sound of the engine. Volvo has a different value proposition then to get a bit of oomph I think people see as a benefit, but that’s not why they buy the car.
Seth: Polestar would be more of a brand that would be more of a concern, I guess. But it just seems like an interesting situation. Should we expect all Volvos coming forward, electric Volvos, the more expensive ones, to have a similar type of acceleration?
Bjorn: I think acceleration is commoditizing. I think when you go below a certain level – be that 7 seconds or 6 seconds or 5 seconds, whatever – it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s enough. And Volvo should have enough acceleration to be safe and take you where you want, and this happens to have a kind of 3.6-second acceleration. I think we’re going to stop talking about that, because that’s not what Volvo has ever talked about. I think it’s more interesting to see that the 100-to-zero is 58 meters. I think that’s more important, right? I think it’s more important to understand that you can purchase a Volvo online, you can do that in 36 seconds in the UK. I think those things are more interesting.
Seth: With a 3.6-seconds, these days, someone could say, hey, my Volvo is faster than a Ferrari or a Porsche.
Bjorn: They can do that. But that’s never going to be the proposition by Volvo because it’s faster than Ferrari. I think then you have a different problem.
Björn Annwall, Volvo Chief Commercial Officer & Deputy CEO
So Volvo is genuinely definitely not thinking about quickness with this car. That said, you don’t have to look very hard on the sales page to find the 0-60 speed, and most execs’ faces lighted up with a point of pride even though they will flatly deny they intended to make a little speedster.
There was a lot more info to gain, however. On a “premium-ness” of a $35,000 car:
Now this is a premium car, and it needs to continue to be a premium car. They need to continue to be a premium experience. You get that as you buy the car, as you service the car, as you get part of the brand. This is a step into the brand for many consumers. It’s a very good additional car for many consumers.
So we don’t see this as a mass-market car. We see this as an entry of a premium car in this segment. There is no premium car in this segment, not a full electric car. So we are breaking new grounds, and we’re going to continue to play a premium role. You shouldn’t see this as becoming a mass-market.
We’re a premium player now in the tighter format. And the tighter formats also come slightly tighter budget.
Björn Annwall, Volvo Chief Commercial Officer & Deputy CEO
On Volvo using Tesla’s NACS charger (which a week ago Ford/GM had just announced):
I think you’re right that Tesla has the best premium experience for fast charging. And I think our aspiration is to make sure we as soon as possible make a great charging experience for the mobile customers.
You can have it via the Tesla network. You can have it via some of the other networks. But then you have to become better at some of those things from automatic payments and taking away a lot of the hassle around it. And we’re working with that as a high priority. I can’t give you any further details.
[Volvo is] open to anything that makes life easier for all of our customers. Then, in the end, things have to work out, but we’re open to we’re going to be electric company. We need to have a great, convenient charging experience for all the customers. I think we have a large part of the US with existing charging infrastructure, but it could be improved.
Björn Annwall, Volvo Chief Commercial Officer & Deputy CEO
On how Volvo got the price so low:
There’s no silver bullet. There is a lot of things. One thing is we’re starting from a technological platform that Geely has developed that is very well done and where we share some of the investments with other brands, and we also share in the infrastructure in the factory in China where we produce it. So tooling investments are all very efficient done together. So that’s one thing.
The other thing is: as we engineered and designed this car, this Volvo car on that platform, we actually had a very ‘resourcefulness’ and ‘cost-mindedness’ at the start. It’s quite interesting: sustainability and cost efficiency are very much the same things, right? Less material. Think about what material [we] have, less waste, take out complexity. That was really the leading thought.
And there’s no one silver bullet. There’s a lot of things. I think there’s the sound bar – one speaker rather than having four or six separate loudspeakers. That’s a good example. Less material, less complexity, very good experience, nice design.
So a lot of those small things have made it better. And then the fact that they add an LFP battery into the mix, which I think makes total sense. The downside of LFP is slightly lower range, slightly slower fast charging. But for a vehicle like this, which many people used as kind of the more local commute in cities or as a second car, that is not the problem. So all those things combined makes a very premium car but at an affordable price.
During its investor day, a day after the Volvo EX30 launch event, we learned that Volvo intended to hit a 20% margin on the EX30, and it thought it would be one of the best-selling cars in its lineup. From the reactions it’s getting, I tend to agree.
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Tesla has officially launched the new Model Y in North America and Europe after launching it in China earlier this month.
The difference is that Tesla is now taking orders for both the older and newer versions of its best-selling electric SUV.
That’s a unique launch for Tesla. I don’t remember the automaker doing that before.
After launching the new Model Y design refresh in China two weeks ago, Tesla is now starting to take orders for the refresh in North America and Europe.
But it looks like the design refresh is still a transitional in Tesla’s production as the automaker is still taking orders for the previous version:
For the launch in North America and Europe, Tesla has only added a new “trim” on the Model Y online configurator for a ‘Launch Series New Model Y’, which is the version unveiled in China earlier this month.
But in China, only this new version has been available for sale since the last two weeks.
Tesla estimates that the new version will have 320 miles of EPA range. Compared to 311 miles for the previous Model Y Long Range AWD, the only version of the new Model Y Launch Series available.
Here are all the other changes with the new Model Y compared to the previous version:
| Feature | Model Y | New Model Y |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price After Est. Savings | $31,490 Available Now | $46,490 Available Starting March |
| Trims | Long Range RWD Long Range AWD Performance AWD | Launch Series Long Range AWD |
| Range | 277-337 miles (EPA est.) | 303-320 miles (est.) |
| Seating | First row: power recline and heated Second row: manual fold and heated | First row: power recline, heated and ventilated Second row: power two-way folding and heated |
| Displays | 15.4″ front-row touchscreen | 15.4″ front-row touchscreen 8″ second-row touchscreen |
| Ride Comfort | First-generation suspension First-generation noise reduction hardware | Second-generation suspension Second-generation noise reduction hardware |
| Cameras | 7 exterior cameras | 8 exterior cameras (includes a new front-facing camera) |
| Audio | Long Range RWD: 7 speakers Long Range AWD: 13 speakers, 1 subwoofer Performance AWD: 13 speakers, 1 subwoofer | Launch Series Long Range AWD: 15 speakers, 1 subwoofer |
| Connectivity | First-generation hardware | Second-generation hardware |
| Trunk | Power open | Hands-free power open on approach |
| Interior | Footwell and door pocket ambient lighting Wooden detailing with black interior | Footwell and door pocket ambient lighting Wrap-around ambient lighting Aluminum detailing and premium textiles |
| Climate | Tinted and laminated safety glass Power-actuated first-row air vents Manual second-row air vents | Tinted and laminated safety glass with metallic infrared reflective coating Power-actuated first- and second-row air vents |
For the Launch Series, Tesla is pricing the new Model Y Long Range AWD at $59,999 USD. That’s $12,000 more than the previous Model Y Long Range AWD, which is still available to order.
Specifically for the Launch Series, buyers get a bunch of special badging around the car:
But they also get things called “Premium Textil Trim” and “Vegan Suede for Black Interior”:
Currently, Tesla is only offering the new Model Y in Stealth Grey, Pearl White Multi-Coat, Ultra Red, and Quicksilver, but they are all included in the Launch Series price.
The Glacier Blue that is offered in China is currently not offered in North America or Europe.
Tesla is talking about the first deliveries of this new version of the Model Y coming in March in North America.
Electrek’s Take
This came sooner than expected, as most expected the launch to be closer to March based on how Tesla launched the Model 3 refresh last year.
But this is also different since Tesla continues to take orders for the previous version.
Tesla was likely worried about the Osborne effect and this strategy of starting with this more expensive version of the Model Y, the Launch Series, is going to help sales of the much cheaper previous version.
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Rivian (RIVN) plans to launch a new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) this year to enable hands-free driving. The new feature is expected to be similar to Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD). In 2026, Rivian will up the ante with an “eyes-free” system.
Rivian plans hands-free driving in 2025, eyes-free in 2026
At the new Rivian Space opening in San Francisco on Thursday, CEO RJ Scaringe revealed a few exciting developments to look forward to.
According to the folks at RivianForums, Scaringe said during the event that the company plans to launch a hands-free ADAS feature in 2025. Next year, Rivian will follow it up with an “eyes-free” system.
The big question is, will current Rivian R1S and R1T owners gain access? It could depend on whether you drive a Gen 1 or Gen 2 model. All Rivian models built through 2024 are considered Gen 1, while models 2025 and newer are Gen 2.
Rivian introduced the second-generation R1S and R1T last summer. They were “completely reengineered” with hundreds of hardware improvements, fully redesigned software, and more.
The upgrades include its new in-house autonomy system, Rivian Autonomy Platform. It’s powered by 11 cameras, five radars, and predictive AI.
Rivian said the new platform is “10 times more powerful” than the old system. It also features 360-degree visibility with 8X the number of camera pixels than the previous models. Gen 2 models already include features like Blind Spot Monitoring and Highway Assist.
With the premium version, drivers gain access to Lane Change, while Rivian said Enhanced Highway Assist and other features were coming soon.
Although all Rivian R1S and R1T EVs include OTA updates, some features may require additional hardware or software not included on Gen 1 models.
Rivian hands-free and attention-free autonomous highway driving will be available on the upcoming R2 model. The smaller electric SUV is due out in the first half of 2026, starting at around $45,000.
Electrek’s Take
As a Tesla Model 3 driver, I can tell you that Full-Self Driving (FSD) is fun and can be helpful at times. I’ve used it on longer trips, like through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it makes driving or sitting in the car a little more enjoyable.
Although the system still requires you to pay attention, it enables the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with “minimal driver intervention.”
The new Actually Smart Summon feature is one of my favorites. Through the Tesla app, you can summon your vehicle to come to you in a parking lot. The vehicle will then move around other cars, people, and objects to find you.
Other functions, like Navigate on Autopilot, will take over while the vehicle is on the highway, changing lanes (with turn signals) and braking or accelerating as needed.
For Rivian owners, it would be like an upgraded system from Highway and Lane Change Assist. The “eyes-free” system coming next year will likely have a few regulatory hurdles to pass before it rolls out, so it should be interesting to see what that will consist of. Check back for more info soon. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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The United Arab Emirates is building the world’s largest solar and battery storage project that will dispatch clean energy 24/7.
Emirati Renewable energy company Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) are developing the trailblazing solar and battery storage project. Once it’s online, will become the largest combined solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) in the world.
Located in Abu Dhabi, the project will feature a 5.2 GW solar PV plant coupled with a 19 gigawatt-hour (GWh) BESS.
His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, minister of industry and advanced technology and chairman of Masdar, said:
For decades, the biggest barrier facing renewable energy has been intermittency – to be able to source uninterrupted clean power day and night.
In collaboration with EWEC and our partners, we will develop a renewable energy facility capable of providing clean energy round the clock.
For the first time ever, this will transform renewable energy into a world-leading 1 GW of reliable baseload energy every day on an unprecedented scale – a first step that could become a giant leap for the world.
Masdar announced China’s JA Solar and Jinko Solar, two of the world’s largest solar panel suppliers, and Chinese battery and BESS giant CATL as preferred suppliers. JA Solar and Jinko Solar will supply 2.6 GW of solar panels each. India’s Larsen & Toubro and POWERCHINA have been selected as preferred engineering, procurement, and construction contractors.
Masdar says the project will create 10,000 jobs and doesn’t yet indicate a projected completion date.
Read more: China installed a record capacity of solar and wind in 2024 – in numbers
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