As Volvo introduces the EX90 in November 2022, it’s also teasing a new entry-level EV for its 2023 premiere. We now have an exact debut date as CEO Jim Rowan told the Australian publication Car sell that the tiny crossover will premiere on June 15. During an interview held in Melbourne, the automaker’s top brass acknowledged that buyers are generally “much older than we’d like” but hoped entry-level EVs would remedy that by attracting younger customers. .
He went on to describe the EX30 (name confirmed) as “very safe distance, decent, still good size but smaller than [XC]40.” Jim Rowan expects the electric crossover to cater to an older audience as well, particularly those who don’t travel great distances and want to switch out of larger vehicles for smaller cars. For a younger crowd, offering a subscription plan should appeal to more buyers and helping Volvo reduce the age demographic of its customers.
Motor1.com speculative rendering of the 2024 Volvo EX30 based on teaser images
In a previous interview with European Automotive News, Volvo’s head honcho revealed the EX30 will be manufactured in China. That subscription plan will require a commitment of at least three months, but the CEO believes people will keep their cars for a longer period of time. The typical buyer is projected to be 18 or 19 years old and at their first car purchase. Jim Rowan says that Volvo opposes replacing or leasing batteries due to safety concerns.
The EX30 will be positioned below the XC40 Recharge, which recently acquired a rear-wheel drive version as the first Volvo with RWD in the last quarter century. It will be interesting to find out the range of the EX30 compared to the base XC40 Recharge. As a refresher, the latter offers a range of 460 kilometers in a WLTP cycle and 240 miles per EPA, thanks to a 69-kWh battery pack.
This new arrival in Volvo’s growing lineup is expected to use parent Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and be mechanically mated to a coupe-style Polestar 4 small crossover. The EX30 is projected to play a key role in the automaker’s ambition to sell 1.2 million cars annually by 2025.
