Volvo was rather bullish on EVs for the last few years, asserting it would shift to an all-electric lineup globally by 2030, but even sooner here in Australia with a 2026 deadline.
This past week, the company walked back its 2030 plans – it's unclear what the story is for Australia's 2026 target – at the same time its EVs are coming thick and fast to its lineup.
None are more important than this, the EX30. The pitch is pretty simple: chic design language and bucketloads of power at an attainable price for the next generation of car buyers. A$71,290 for a vehicle that can scoot from 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds? I had to see for myself what all the fuss is about.
Jumping the gun
It was at the launch of the C40 in late 2022 that Volvo Car Australia's executives told the media of its plans to go all-EV within the following four years. I remember looking around the table and seeing a few raised eyebrows from other journos.
Sure, it was inevitably going to happen at some point, but within a mere four years? It was hardly news that Volvo was trying to rebrand and reach a younger demographic than it was long associated with, but this made it clear just how serious about that plan it was.
The C40 was billed as the brand's first dedicated electric model, although it hardly felt all-original. Really, it's just a coupé version of the electric XC40 with an identical nose, interior, and powertrain. That's hardly a bad thing, though, when you consider how good a car the XC40 is and has been since it first launched.
There's no question that the EX30 looks and feels like a proper ground-up EV, however. There's no transmission tunnel or blanked-out buttons for engine functions that don't exist. This is the real deal.
Under the influence
In trying to break from its older design language, it's clear that Tesla has influenced the EX30 in many ways. Mind you, the exterior is still undoubtedly Volvo; it's on the inside where there's a break from tradition.
Rather than the conventional car interior layout with gauges ahead of the driver and the radio and navigation screen in the centre of the dashboard, the EX30 simply has one central 12.3-inch screen which looks a bit like a tacked-on iPad, and this houses absolutely everything.
Yes, that includes the speedometer, which is now inconveniently in the middle of the dashboard. While you can get used to such a setup, the car's driver monitoring system – which uses an infrared eye scanner atop the steering column – will get upset when you take your eyes off the road to check what speed you're going.
Also hamming up the Tesla influence is the display next to it, which uses a system of cameras around the car to scan traffic and create a digitally mapped version of the road layout including road markings and the vehicles around you.
While not a new feature for Volvo to incorporate, the EX30 uses Google Maps in place of a standalone satellite navigation system – again, just like Tesla. This is very much a good thing, though, as inputting destinations is quicker and easier than on any other system out there.
Aurora borealis?!
The EX30 may lack the funnier and quirkier features of Tesla's infotainment system such as video games and whoopee cushions, but some inimitably Swedish inclusions can be found instead. The stand-out has to be its interior ambiance which goes a step above your classic ambient lighting setup.
Rather than offering default solid colours, it instead offers a number of animated themes which bring the ambient lighting to life across the car's beautifully textured surfaces. Not only that, there are animations on the central screen and bespoke mood music to accompany each. Only the Swedes could pull off such a thing.
Although I rather like 'forest bath', its 'northern light' theme has to take the cake. Not only is aurora borealis animated on the display, but the cabin lighting emulates the same geomagnetic activity.
And yes, it's available at any time of year, in any part of the country, localised entirely inside the EX30's cabin. Seymour!
Complimenting this, of course, is the EX30's interior design options. This example features the Indigo interior which the lighting looks particularly stunning against, although the more pretentiously-named but equally stunning Pine, Mist, and Breeze finishes are also available.
It's a step above the four-wheeled Ikea showroom you might expect as well. The seating is unsurprisingly ergonomic, while the materials, despite mostly being recycled, feel decidedly upmarket.
Scandi flick
If anything is going to have you singing the praises of the electric vehicle, it's taking one like this for a proper drive. That this is the brand's new entry-level model – if admittedly in its most expensive and high-powered guise – is utterly remarkable. The same sort of coin wouldn't get you this kind of performance in any internal combustion car.
It's an absolute rocket in a straight line, yet its character remains relaxed in keeping with its internal ambiance. You can give even the dual-motor model a good Scandinavian flick and get it to rotate through a corner, yet the ride quality is as smooth as driving on a velvet road with springs made of double cream brie.
The steering might feel a bit too light for some, but in truth it's perfect for who and what this car is aimed at. Having adopted electrification early enough in the picture with its plug-in hybrid models means Volvo knows what it's doing with this technology and how to manage the weight it adds to a vehicle, and the brand's experience shows. For the next-gen crowd this car is aimed at, it's utterly on the money.
Where do we go from here?
The EX30 is already Volvo's second-best seller in Australia behind the XC40 and just ahead of the XC60, so it's clear that the brand has read the room correctly. For a lower-volume seller like Volvo, it's a big boost to have a model like this slide into its showrooms.
But with its global vision for an all-EV future being dialled back due to over-ambitiousness, it's suddenly unclear just what Volvo's future looks like when it looked so sure following the launch of this EX30 and the larger EX90.
I don't doubt we're going to see more brands finding themselves in a similar predicament – winding back promises and rethinking their future model strategy – and I do think this will pave the way for other powertrains to get their time in the spotlight as well, be that plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, or anything else.
The EV bubble may be poised to burst, but at least for now, we've got some fabulous cars as a result of it. The EX30 is certainly one of the finest.
2024 Volvo EX30 Twin Performance Ultra
Price (MSRP): A$71,290
Engine: Dual electric motors, 69kWh lithium-ion battery pack
Transmission: 1-speed automatic
Drivetrain: AWD
Power: 315kW // 428PS
Torque: 543Nm // 400lb-ft
Acceleration (0-100km/h // 0-62mph): 3.6 seconds
Top Speed: 180km/h
Weight: 1960kg (running order mass)
Economy: 22.2kWh/100km (as tested)
