Volvo’s next electric car will be a small SUV that shares its parts with the new Smart #1
- Range of around 280 miles expected
- EX30 to sit below XC40 Recharge in lineup
- Due to arrive in 2024 following full reveal on 7th June 2023
The entry-level electric Volvo EX30 will be revealed on the 7th June, with the name and launch date now confirmed by the Swedish brand. It will sit beneath the XC40 Recharge in Volvo’s growing electric SUV model lineup.
The EX30 is expected to arrive shortly after the recently announced Volvo EX90 flagship model, and it shares that SUV’s angular and boxy design language. Teased in a new video posted by Volvo, it shares the same angular rear styling and lighting signature of other recent electric Volvo SUVs, while its nose shares a new take on Volvo’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights with individual LED elements.
We’ve known that a small electric SUV was on the cards for a while, thanks to an interview with Volvo’s CEO Hakan Samuelsson. Speaking a few months ago, Samuelsson said: “We’ve said the next new electric car is really the successor of our SUV flagship, after that there will be a smaller SUV, and that’s what we’re talking about here. It’s very likely it will be made in China, yes.”
In the latest images of the Volvo EX30, the brand has teased the car’s LED light signature that’s reminiscent of the larger EX90 and XC40 SUVs. It gets a sharply-angled hatchback at the rear, while the front end features a full-width light bar – a feature that’s increasingly in vogue among EV manufacturers.
Volvo EX30 interior design
Volvo has released images of the upcoming small SUV’s interior, saying that it ‘embraces sustainable thinking’ and offers a ‘range of smart storage ideas to deliver a big-car experience with less.’ An example of this is the relocation of the glove box to the centre of the dash, making it easier for the driver to get to.
There’s also a sliding centre console with an open lower section for quick access, and the boot gets a size guide helping the user to determine if large items will fit – that’s sure to help with flat-pack furniture from IKEA…
A new sound bar sits on the top of the dash, meaning the doors do away with speakers, and the window switches have been placed on the centre console – this may have been done in an effort to keep manufacturing costs down for the entry-level electric SUV, by keeping the electrical elements closer together, as has been done in cars like the Fiat 500 in the past.
The centre of the dash gets a 12.3-inch display that shows information such as speed and charge levels, plus infotainment and sat-nav functions displayed on the lower half. In an effort to reduce driver distraction, Volvo is also incorporating a ‘calm’ mode that removes unnecessary information from the screen. The EX30 will be the first Volvo to be offered with Apple CarPlay alongside built-in Google apps like Google Maps.
To offer a degree of personalisation, the interior will be offered in a variety of what Volvo calls ‘rooms’. To keep up its sustainable credentials, one of these uses waste produced from the denim recycling process. Other interior elements of the EX30 are designed with the environment in mind, such as recycled plastic made from old window frames and roller shutters, along with responsibly-sourced wool used on the seats.
Volvo EX30 safety
Volvo is a brand known for its focus on safety throughout its lineup, and this won’t be any different for the EX30. The small electric SUV will get an alert system which warns occupants if cyclists or other traffic users are approaching the car as a door is about to be opened, helping to avoid accidents. It’s part of Volvo’s latest Safe Space Technology suite to help keep the brand on the top of its game in terms of safety.
Other safety features include an advanced driver alert system which comes as standard, monitoring eye and face movements around 13 times per second to make sure the driver isn’t fatigued and thus unsafe to drive. It also gets a far-side airbag on the inside of the driver’s seat to help protect from head and thorax injury in a side impact. Because it’s an electric car, the brand has also put in measures to reinforce the integrity of the battery in case of a collision – a damaged battery can cause a car to catch fire if it shorts, so it’s a measure intended to mitigate that risk.
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Given Volvo’s current model numbering system, we expect the new EX30 to sit below the C40 and XC40 Recharge in the lineup. Size-wise, it will be comparable with the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric, as well as the Smart #1, with which it will share many of its parts.
Volvo EX30 powertrains
Volvo is owned by Chinese conglomerate Geely, which also has stakes in several other automotive brands such as Smart. The new Smart #1 SUV sits on the company’s Sustainable Experience Architecture Entry (SEA-E) platform, which will also underpin the upcoming EX30.
We can expect the EX30 to be offered in two guises – based on what we know about its underpinnings, we can expect a rear-wheel drive single-motor model with around 268bhp and a four-wheel drive dual-motor version with around 420bhp, although this is yet to be confirmed.
The Smart #1 utilises a 66kWh battery that provides a range of up to 273 miles on a single charge; the baby Volvo will likely share this setup and with a few aerodynamic and mechanical tweaks, a range of up to 280 miles could be possible. All Smart #1s also come with 150kW fast charging capability – something that’s likely to come to the EX30, too – meaning a 10-80% charge can be completed in under 30 minutes when connected to a compatible public fast charger.
So when can we expect the new car to arrive? We are yet to spot any prototypes out and about on public roads, so it's safe to say that it’ll be a while before we can walk into a showroom and buy a new EX30 – a release date sometime in 2024 seems possible. Given Volvo’s premium status, we expect the new car to cost more than the equivalent Peugeot e-2008 when it finally goes on sale, likely matching the Smart #1’s circa-£39,000 base price.
Keyword: New Volvo EX30 small SUV: interior and exterior images teased