When Volvo introduced the EX90 in November 2022, it also teased a new entry-level EV for a 2023 premiere. We now have an exact debut date as CEO Jim Rowan told Australian publication CarSales that the petite crossover will premiere on June 15. During the interview held in Melbourne, the automaker's top brass admitted the typical buyer is "a lot older than we would like" but hopes the entry-level EV will fix that by attracting a younger clientele.
He went on to describe the EX30 (name already confirmed) as being "very safe, decent range, good size still but smaller than the [XC]40." Jim Rowan expects the electric crossover to cater to an older audience as well, specifically those who don't do a lot of miles and are looking to step out of a larger vehicle and into a smaller car. For the younger crowd, offering a subscription plan should attract more buyers and help Volvo reduce the age demographic of its customers.
In a previous interview with Automotive News Europe, Volvo's head honcho revealed the EX30 is going to be manufactured in China. That subscription plan will require a commitment of at least three months, but the CEO is confident people will hold on to their cars for a longer period. The typical buyer is projected to be 18 or 19 years old and at their first car purchase. Jim Rowan said Volvo is against swapping or renting batteries due to safety concerns.
The EX30 will be positioned below the XC40 Recharge, which recently gained a rear-wheel-drive version as the first Volvo with RWD in the last quarter of a century. It'll be interesting to find out the EX30's range compared to the base XC40 Recharge. As a refresher, the latter offers 460 kilometers of range in the WLTP cycle and 240 miles per EPA, courtesy of a 69-kWh battery pack.
The new arrival in Volvo's growing lineup is expected to ride on the parent company Geely's Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and be mechanically twinned with the coupe-styled Polestar 4 small crossover. The EX30 is projected to play a key role in the automaker's ambitions to sell 1.2 million cars annually by 2025.
