Jim Rowan, CEO of Volvo, has confirmed that the Swedish firm’s new access electric car, the EX30, will debut on June 15. Production, which will begin before the end of the year, will take place in China, where its twin brother, the smart #1, is currently being assembled.
The manager wanted to highlight that Volvo’s new baby will have a competitive price, which will allow the company to access a younger clientele; In addition, it will offer “decent” range and the levels of security to which the brand has accustomed us, which has been a true world reference in this matter for decades.
Like the rest of Volvo’s electric cars, the EX30 can be purchased online. It will also be offered via a subscription service with a three-month tenure, which should help bring down the average age of customers. It will have several battery sizes, so it will adapt to the needs of a wide spectrum of users.
Volvo aspires to become a 100% electric manufacturer by 2030, the year in which it will also have adopted a direct and online sales model. However, it will keep its network of dealers unchanged, who will become intermediaries in charge of delivering the vehicles and providing after-sales service.
The Volvo EX30 will be based on Geely’s SEA-E (SEA Entry) platform. Likely, it will initially be offered with the same powertrain as the #1 smart, which combines a 272 hp (200 kW) motor with a 66 kWh capacity battery pack. The smart certifies 440 km WLTP range and can charge a maximum of 150 kW in direct current (10-80% in 30 minutes).
Later, a variant with two engines, all-wheel drive, and a combined power of 428 CV (315 kW) equivalent to the #1 Brabus, as well as other versions with less performance and less capable batteries, could be added. Technologically, the use of an infotainment system based on the Android Automotive OS platform from Alphabet (Google) should be highlighted.
Although it will be slightly shorter than the XC40 Recharge, the EX30 will have a more muscular aesthetic, something reinforced by its voluminous wheel arches. The door handles will be retractable and the pilots will sport a design similar to the new EX90, with a vertical section on the sides of the rear window and a second C-shaped module below.
