Volvo EX30

Cars built on the SPA and CMA chassis, like the XC90 T8 and the Polestar 1, were stepping stones for Volvo on the road to full electrification. Volvo indicated at their launch in the mid 2010s that, while plug-in hybrids were great for shorter trips and for ekeing more efficiency out of a car than internal combustion alone, they'd like to see their eventual replacements ditch fossil fuels altogether.

Fast forward to 2024, and the wraps were pulled off of a new large EV, the EX90, and this: the compact, simple, and surprisingly inexpensive EX30 CUV.

With the next-generation battery and electric motor tech came a new chassis, called the Sustainable Experience Architecture, or SEA platform.

Unlike prior SPA cars with a medium-capacity battery running down the transmission tunnel "spine" of the car, the SEA platform is all-EV from launch, with a large-capacity lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery pack buried under the floor of the car.

This large 69kWh battery pack in something as small as the VW Golf-sized EX30 is enough to give it 275 miles of range in the base Extended Range RWD model. A smaller and cheaper 51kWh version is also available in international markets, still yielding over 200 miles of range thanks to the EX30's tidy proportions: a small car means less mass and therefore less energy required to move that mass.

The EX30's low mass and drag compared to other EVs pays dividends in the top-end Dual Motor Performance model as well. The added friction and mass of the 2nd electric motor takes about 10 miles off the range, but the extra AWD traction and torque hustles the EX30 to 100km/h or 62mph in 3.4 seconds, making it the fastest Volvo ever produced.

While the larger EX90 is intended to be a replacement for the flagship XC90, the EX30 is a downmarket push by Volvo to turn first-time car buyers in to first-time EV buyers. Significant use of recycled materials both for the steel and aluminum body parts and for the plastic and textile interior aren't just kind to the polar bears, but also help keep costs down.

"Elegant simplicity" for the interior design pulls off the same less-is-more trick, with a soundbar atop the dash replacing door-mounted speakers and a central display eliminating multiple screens and switchgear. All of these measures combined produce a slick Scandinavian design that feels nice but stickers under $40,000 for the Core trim. And hey, fewer parts means less stuff to break!

Like prior models, Volvo says it's working on a lifted EX30 Cross Country with beefier tires and rough-and-ready body cladding. Expect to see 2026 EX30 CCs at hiking trailheads near you.

Model information is based on the USA vehicle market. Other model variations may exist outside the USA.