Volvo is downsizing: With the all-electric EX30, the Swedes are putting their smallest electric SUV on the road to date. The EX30 shares the technology with the new Smart#1.
Smaller is smarter, is smarter, is more sustainable. At least in Europe, the car world has agreed on a reasonable compact size. The group of compact SUVs is by far the fastest growing car class here. Volvo is now also turning onto this road to success and is pushing the new all-electric EX30 into its portfolio below the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric. Above all, it should attract young buyers, win new customers and, from the end of the year, replace the XC40 as the most successful Volvo model with a share of 25 percent. It should become the cool Swede in the lifestyle camp. With Nordic charm in the sheet metal and sustainable technology underneath. The design of the 4.23 meter long electric SUV describes Volvo CEO Jim Rowan as “a distillate of Volvo design”. The closed front with futuristic lights, in which 18 LED modules interpret the Thor hammer in its most modern form, is particularly stylish. The overhangs of the EX30 are extremely short, standard 18-inch aluminum makes it appear stocky, the hood bulges conspicuously forward. Volvo has worked out the wheel arches visually, the comparatively steeply sloping rear carries two-part LED lights under a roof edge spoiler – the rear window becomes framed here by a narrow strip of light, in the second level the lights are C-shaped.The “greenest” of all VolvosAccording to Volvo, the EX30 opens the greenest chapter in the company’s history. According to the Swedes, it is the model with the smallest footprint of all previous models. Viewed over the entire life cycle and production, it emits around 25 percent less CO2 than the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric. Of course, this is also due to its compact dimensions, which require less steel and aluminum. Metals that are extremely energy-intensive during production. In addition, the proportion of recycling is high. 25 percent of the aluminum used in construction is recycled, 17 percent of the steel. The recycled proportion of all plastics in the vehicle is just as high. 30 percent of the underbodies and inlays are made from recycled plastics, which were made from old window frames or shutters, for example, as are the unpainted bumpers. This is also a new record for Volvo models. In the vegan, i.e. leather-free interior, the Swedes use many materials that would otherwise be waste products. Jeans fibers, flax, wool, the Nordica upholstery consists of recycled PET bottles and renewable materials from wood products. Customers can choose from four design themes and three equipment lines (Core, Plus, Ultra). One display must sufficeSince we’re already seated, a look at the cockpit, which distributes its information over just one screen. A 12.3-inch tablet integrated upright into the dashboard has to suffice as an information center, as is the case with the big brother EX90. It accesses a Google-based infotainment system and can be updated “over the air”. We only find buttons on the steering wheel, apart from the two switches for the window regulators, which move from the doors to the center console, which has never really proven to be practical. The EX30 can be opened, closed and even started using a smartphone, among other things, and the heating and air conditioning can also be controlled via an app. New interior design The soundbar below the windscreen also ensures the clean, Scandinavian-style design. Instead of being distributed throughout the interior, the EX30 has just one complex speaker that spans the entire width of the vehicle. The 1040 watt sound system was created in cooperation with the hi-fi specialists from Harman Kardon. By eliminating the loudspeakers, there is space in the doors for large storage compartments. In addition, the glove compartment moves under the touchscreen, which increases the feeling of space and freedom of movement for the front passenger. The center console itself has a clever sliding system that can be moved backwards – as required – to create more space, for example for a small bag. Smaller items such as sunglasses disappear in a storage compartment in the lower tunnel. The space for the passengers is decent. Plenty in the front, but it gets a bit cramped in the back from a height of 1.75 meters. The EX30 shares its technology with the new Smart #1 and the upcoming Zeekr X, the new premium brand from parent company Geely. Three model variants of the EX30 are available for market launch on the note, all are limited to 180 km/h. Entry starts with the “Single Motor” version in the Core equipment line at 36,950 euros. No other Volvo is currently cheaper, and the basic EX30 undercuts its technology brother Smart#1 by a whopping 5,450 euros. In this variant, the EX30 drives with an electric motor on the rear axle, has 200 kW/272 hp, sprints to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and has a 51 kWh LFP battery (lithium iron phosphate) in the underbody , which should be cheaper and more environmentally friendly to produce. Volvo specifies the maximum range as 344 kilometers. If you add around 5000 euros, you get the “Extended Range” version with an NMC battery (lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt) and 69 kWh, the promised range increases to 480 kilometers. The third model in the group is the “Twin Motor Performance AWD”. This is where another electric motor comes into play on the front axle, which turns the EX30 from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. The system output increases to 315 kW/428 hp, the hundred sprint succeeds in 3.6 seconds – never has a Volvo been faster. In 2024 the almost traditional Cross Country variant will follow with increased ground clearance, underbody protection, black plastic covering all around and black 19 inch wheels. (SPX)
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