Photo: Volvo
Chinese bloggers filmed the new Volvo EX30 parked under a relatively light disguise on January 8. The Weibo post showed that the Swedish automaker’s new entry-level EV was nearing production lines. Jim Rowan confirmed that to Carsales in a recent chat. The Volvo CEO disclosed the company would present the new EV on “June the 15th or something this year.” We like the precise part of the sentence best.
Rowan said that the EX30 has a critical mission apart from improving Volvo’s sales volumes: help the brand’s audience rejuvenate, so to speak. With Volvo’s price tags, it is predictable that only older people have the money to afford its cars. The younger ones with enough cash to consider a Volvo usually prefer flashier brands.
For the Volvo CEO, these newer customers may also choose the Swedish brand because of the changes the EX30 will bring to the shopping experience. Buyers may subscribe to the cars instead of purchasing them. That’s a model Geely has been using with Lynk & Co for quite some time already, and that probably proved to be a good idea.
Ironically, Rowan said that he believes the EX30 should attract a lot of older buyers in search of smaller cars, fit for shorter distances that you can cover just by charging the EV at home. This utilization description reminds us of the quadricycles used in Europe without a driver’s license. The Citroën Ami is an excellent example of these cars, even if the EX30 promises to be a much larger vehicle for five people.
If the new Volvo keeps the exact dimensions as the smart #1, it will be 4.27 m (168.1 in) long, 1.82 m (71.7 in) wide, 1.64 m (64.4 in) tall, and will have a 2.75 m (108.3 in) wheelbase. We do not expect the final dimensions to be precisely these, but the Chinese press believes the motors will be the same. The EX30 should have a single motor for the rear with 200 kW (268 hp) and one for each axle in fancier versions, delivering a total output of 315 kW (422 hp).
The Volvo CEO also suggested that Volvo will go for smaller battery packs – between 30 kWh and 50 kWh – in markets where the charging infrastructure is big enough to ensure these EV owners will never worry about range. We’ve heard something similar from Markus Duesmann. The Audi CEO said that in February 2021, which shows that most automakers believe they will manage to sell more miniature battery packs as soon as people can charge them anywhere.
That would work just fine if people were willing to stop every 100 miles or less to charge. That’s the range the Mazda MX-30 has with its 35.5 kWh battery pack. Rowan may want to meet with the Mazda CEO to ask him how that strategy played out for the Japanese company.
For the Volvo CEO, these newer customers may also choose the Swedish brand because of the changes the EX30 will bring to the shopping experience. Buyers may subscribe to the cars instead of purchasing them. That’s a model Geely has been using with Lynk & Co for quite some time already, and that probably proved to be a good idea.
Ironically, Rowan said that he believes the EX30 should attract a lot of older buyers in search of smaller cars, fit for shorter distances that you can cover just by charging the EV at home. This utilization description reminds us of the quadricycles used in Europe without a driver’s license. The Citroën Ami is an excellent example of these cars, even if the EX30 promises to be a much larger vehicle for five people.
If the new Volvo keeps the exact dimensions as the smart #1, it will be 4.27 m (168.1 in) long, 1.82 m (71.7 in) wide, 1.64 m (64.4 in) tall, and will have a 2.75 m (108.3 in) wheelbase. We do not expect the final dimensions to be precisely these, but the Chinese press believes the motors will be the same. The EX30 should have a single motor for the rear with 200 kW (268 hp) and one for each axle in fancier versions, delivering a total output of 315 kW (422 hp).
The Volvo CEO also suggested that Volvo will go for smaller battery packs – between 30 kWh and 50 kWh – in markets where the charging infrastructure is big enough to ensure these EV owners will never worry about range. We’ve heard something similar from Markus Duesmann. The Audi CEO said that in February 2021, which shows that most automakers believe they will manage to sell more miniature battery packs as soon as people can charge them anywhere.
That would work just fine if people were willing to stop every 100 miles or less to charge. That’s the range the Mazda MX-30 has with its 35.5 kWh battery pack. Rowan may want to meet with the Mazda CEO to ask him how that strategy played out for the Japanese company.
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