Volvo EX30 first drive: this tiny, inexpensive electric SUV is also Volvo’s quickest car, ever
There’s a lot of dichotomy in that title. But for some reason, it all makes sense when driving the Volvo EX30. After delaying the much bigger EX90 indefinitely, Volvo’s first EV designed from the ground up really shines in so many areas, and of course has one big glaring downside…
Let’s get those eye-watering specs out of the way first.
- Horsepower: 268 RWD/422 AWD
- Torque: 253ftlbs RWD/ 400ftlbs AWD
- Top speed: 112mph
- Battery: 69kWh
- Range: 265/275 miles
- Towing: 2000lbs/2500lbs
- Dimensions: Height: 61.2in, Width: 72.3in, Length: 166.7in
- Base price: $34,950FWD/$44,900 AWD
- Some more interior dimensions
For those in the US, the size of the Volvo EX30 is about halfway between a Chevy Bolt EV and the 6-inch longer EUV. While Chevy initially tried to call the Bolt a “Micro-SUV”, I think the EX30 with its 7-inch ground clearance and much larger wheels better fits that description. Taking it off-road later cemented that role.
Interior
Maybe the most impressive aspect of the EX30 is the interior design. Clearly Scandinavian-inspired, there’s not a single item that hasn’t been thought over for simplicity or efficiency and so many smart decisions were made here. Volvo took the window buttons and speakers out of the door to simplify. Instead, all of this lies in the center of the vehicle.
The roomy and convenient glovebox is also in the center which leaves a nice open, airy space for the passenger. (By the way, the front trunk or ‘frunk’ isn’t much bigger than a glovebox and will likely be used as a space to store valuables and perhaps charging cables)
The armrests on the door feel like they are floating, while below there is tons of room for storage. The door handles are made of a solid metal material that feels high quality. The seats are firm but comfortable but not in a ‘La-z-boy’ type of smushy way.
The center console is no different. Drawers and cupholders are well-designed and seem to come out of nowhere. USB-C and wireless chargers are both easy to access.
The center stack is running on Google’s Automotive OS but it will still take Carplay or Android projection from your phones. The software wasn’t quite complete at testing but it was similar to Volvo and Polestar’s other offerings albeit with a display that felt a little smaller and cheaper.
Exterior
Volvo, I think, also hit it out of the park with the look shape of the EX30. It looks a lot like its bigger XC40 cousin but also a little more modern and sculpted with more futuristic lights and aero wheels.
We drove a white AWD version and a Gray RWD version but the light blue and moss yellow varieties will turn more heads. I think Volvo could really have some fun with more colorful options here, perhaps taking a cue from apple’s iPads and iMacs for fun inspiration.
The charging port in the driver’s side rear has those little stringed covers that you see in cars that are designed by people who have never had to charge a car. I’d rip those off on day one.
The Drive
Given all the hype around the EX30, I was worried that the drive would feel cheap or sedated or…boring.
Nope! it is so fun to drive and maybe more importantly, it gets out of your way when you just want to get from point A to point B.
The car was also pretty good at sipping electrons, though we didn’t do any scientific testing since we were also trying to push it to its limits off-road and on. Overall, I think that the 265-275 mile range is certainly achievable and perhaps more with some miserly driving.
Volvo says you can charge from 10% to 80% or add almost 200 miles in 26 minutes at the right chargers which the above was not.
Charging is typical with about 150kW CCS combo but Volvo will switch to Tesla’s NACS charger as early as mid-cycle 2024 and will provide adapters for all vehicles in both directions.
Also, we’re happy to report that the EX30 does fine off the road, as we took some scenic detours through some forests and wineries. We found some mud, some hills, and just some beautiful mountain dirt roads to drive on. The EX30 felt right at home here. The 7-inch drive clearance and solid suspension were certainly helpful in crossing ditches and those relatively big tires did well on tight turns. That said, the turning radius felt like that of a bigger vehicle.
One note that though all Volvos are governed at under 118 miles per hour, our AWD EX30 version started getting a little shaky at about 95 miles per hour. Other than that, it drove incredibly solid for a low-priced car.
Also, I do want to report that the lower-end rear-wheel drive version felt really fast and was perhaps more fun to drive than the more powerful AWD variety. If you don’t live where it snows a lot I’d recommend the RWD version or at least test-driving it and perhaps save yourself $10K
Overall Pros:
- Amazing price/performance
- Size is short but still roomy and nimble
- Efficient and beautiful inside and out
- Great sound system, lots of storage space
Cons:
- Built in China, though Volvo says they are spinning up an EU assembly line. No US manufacturing announced but Volvo says it would take 18 months to do so.
- The center screen is small and sometimes hard to read while driving
- Rear space is small without a center armrest, rear windows hard to roll down from front
Electrek’s Take
I love almost everything about this car and I fully expect to replace my Chevy Bolt with it in a few years. It drives excellently both fast and off-road, it is the perfect size and it is beautiful inside and out. I have some gripes outlined above (rear armrest, center screen, etc) but nothing physical that would deter me from recommending this car.
My biggest beef is that Volvo isn’t building this locally for the US market and is instead outsourcing it to its sister company Geely in China. That also means it might get hit with a 27% tariff coming in and of course, wouldn’t qualify for the $7500 Federal tax credit unless leased. Volvo was cagey about whether they were on the hook for the 27% US tariff on Chinese-made cars or if they would in fact make a profit on these vehicles sold in the US. That means they might prioritize other markets and only trickle these into the US.
As it stands, this would be the first mass-market Chinese vehicle sold in the US and perhaps a Trojan horse with its beautiful Scandinavian Volvo-clad covering. Smaller selling Chinese vehicles like the Polestar 2 are already sold in the US.
That would be a real shame because this is a truly special car. I don’t understand why they don’t spool up their South Carolina factory to make these as soon as possible (18 months according to Volvo). Even if they can’t make them as cheaply as in China, with all of the incentives it feels like a no-brainer.
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The first electric Range Rover is expected to hit showrooms in the next few months. With its official debut just around the corner, Range Rover’s first EV was spotted testing in Sweden. Here’s a sneak peek of the luxury electric SUV.
Range Rover’s first EV put through the paces in Sweden
Range Rover is finally gearing up to introduce its first EV later this year. Earlier this year, JLR confirmed that the Range Rover Electric already has 57,000 buyers on the waiting list.
The company claims the new model “redefines” the electric luxury SUV with an “unrivalled driving experience.” To prove it, Range Rover is putting its first EV through the paces in sub-zero conditions in Sweden.
Range Rover’s electric SUV has been through 45,000 miles of testing across frozen lakes and land tracks. The latest round allowed engineers to test their new thermal management system.
The company’s new ThermAssist thermal management system reduces heat energy consumption by up to 40% and is designed to warm the propulsion system or cabin in temperatures as low as ‑10°C (14°F).
Range Rover said it also helps optimize driving range while minimizing the impact of extreme temperatures on charging performance.
Combined with an 800V battery, the first one built in-house by JLR, the company promises the best possible performance, with optimized energy density, range, and charging times. The Range Rover’s first EV will be powered by a 117 kWh battery, consisting of 344 prismatic cells.
Built for both on- and off-road performance, the electric SUV features new additions like single-pedal driving and a switchable twin-chamber air suspension system.
Range Rover tested the single-pedal capabilities on both 28-degree and 17-degree split-mu inclines at its Arctic test facility.
Matt Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director at JLR, explained that the electric SUV maintains the brand’s signature driving experience “by marrying all the essential Range Rover elements with new and advanced technologies.”
Following its second season in Sweden, Range Rover will continue testing prototypes ahead of the official launch later this year.
After its first EV, Range Rover is already preparing another smaller electric SUV, which is expected to be the Sport model. In 2026, the company is expected to release a mid-sized electric SUV, likely the Velar.
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Volvo is launching a nearly $2 billion (SEK 18 billion) restructuring plan to drive growth and mitigate the impact of Trump’s tariffs. With the new EX30 and ES90 EVs rolling out, Volvo is taking drastic action to drive growth.
Volvo launches restructuring plan due to Trump’s tariffs
After its operating income fell by nearly 60% to SEK 1.9 billion in the first quarter, Volvo launched a cost and cash action plan.
The restructuring is worth SEK 18 billion, with most of it being realized in 2026. Volvo’s new strategy includes SEK 3 billion in variable cost actions and SEK 5 billion in indirect spend efficiencies. The additional SEK 10 billion will be added in cash actions to reduce working capital and capital expenditures this year and in 2026.
Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson said, “The automotive industry is in the middle of a very difficult period with challenges not seen before.”
With “turbulence in the market,” Samuelsson added that the company needs to “further improve our cash flow generation and lower our costs.”
To do so, Volvo is focusing on three areas: profitability, electrification, and regionalisation. Volvo is already leading the premium segment, with electrified vehicles accounting for 43% of sales in Q1. However, with new EVs launching, Volvo said more will need to be done to overcome the impact of Trump’s tariffs.
Volvo created a new region called Americas, which includes the US, Canada, and Latin America, to streamline its global operations.
In the US, the company is looking to sharpen its product line-up and plans to boost production at its Charleston, South Carolina, plant.
Earlier this month, Volvo started production of the EX30 at its Ghent plant, which will help it ramp up deliveries in the second half of 2025.
Since it will be imported into the US, Volvo is bracing to take a hit from tariffs. Even the EX90, which is made in Charleston, is heavily impacted, as most components still come from Europe.
Volvo also revealed the new ES90 last month, its new electric sedan and second EV built on the Volvo Cars Superset Tech Stack. It’s Volvo’s sixth fully electric vehicle following the EX90, EM90, EX40, EX40, and EX30.
In China, Volvo plans to adapt to the changing market with its first extended-range PHEV model, which will launch later this year.
Volvo said it remains “firm on becoming a fully electric car company.” Despite a weaker overall market, almost a fifth of the vehicles it sold in the first quarter were electric.
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In a warming world with increasingly extreme weather events, homeowners are turning to backup batteries for relief and peace of mind. But the backup only lasts only so long, and there’s a bigger problem at play: aging power grids.
Enter the virtual power plant, managed through a cloud-based system. It’s a fertile market for a number of companies as consumers look for more reliability, especially in areas prone to extreme temperatures and storms.
Base Power, headquartered in Austin, Texas, is a virtual power plant and hardware company that provides battery backup to homeowners. The startup manages the batteries, and virtually controls the power that’s going in and out.
“We install our batteries on our customers’ homes. When the grid is up and running, we use those batteries to support the power grid,” said Base CEO Zach Dell. “When the grid goes out, our customers get those batteries to back up their home. We’re also able to save our customers on the order of 10 to 20% a month on their electricity bills.”
Unlike Tesla and Enphase, Base doesn’t sell home backup batteries. Rather, it rents the batteries to homeowners, providing the hardware, software, installation, operations and electricity. Essentially, it’s a battery-based energy company.
“We own and operate it,” Dell said. “We handle all the maintenance. We take care of the system like it’s ours.”
That control allows Base to manipulate how the battery is used, specifically accessing cheaper power and passing that savings on to the consumer. Base charges the battery from the grid when demand is low, typically during overnight hours. When demand is at its peak — summer evenings and winter mornings — Base sells power, discharging the battery to support the grid.
For an upfront fee of $595 and then about $19 a month, homeowners get access to reliable power, provided by Base. That power is generated by several sources, including wind, solar, natural gas and coal. About half of Base’s customers have solar, according to the company, which lowers their costs even more and allows them to sell that power back to Base.
A company spokesperson said Base compensates customers for the power they sell back, calculated as the real-time wholesale energy price plus an additional 3 cents per kilowatt hour. Buyback rates may vary depending on market conditions and other factors.
Base is now serving one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, Lennar, which is also an investor. Base installs batteries during the construction process in roughly 20 Lennar outage-prone communities in Texas.
Stuart Miller, Chairman and co-CEO of Lennar, said it’s not just about making money.
“It’s, are we going to be able to improve the overall stature of the home building business, as it seeks to address the markets that are stressed and having problems?” he said. “Utilities and electricity is a part of that.”
Base has raised a total of $268 million from investors including Lennar, Thrive Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Andreesen Horowitz.
Base recently announced its first utility partnership near San Antonio. Dell said the company hopes to soon expand outside of Texas. However, the batteries are made in China, and Dell said he expects to see an impact from tariffs.
— CNBC producer Lisa Rizzolo contributed to this piece.
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