Pros
Low price to begin with
Good range
QuicklyCons
Fewer space in the backWhat’s new?
The EX30 is a brand-new car.The all-electric 2025 Volvo EX30 is a great new subcompact SUV that has a long range, great speed, a great price, and a design that goes on and on. The price starts at $34,950.
There aren’t many electric cars that cost less than $35,000 to buy, and even fewer that are luxury. Welcome to the new Volvo EX30. It has a range of up to 275 miles, and even the fast two-motor units are only rated for 265 miles. It also charges pretty quickly. This car is a Volvo all the way through. It looks good on the outside and has more than twenty cameras, radars, and ultrasonic devices to make it safer and easier to use.
The Hyundai Kona Electric might be the EX30’s closest competitor in terms of price and features. It is cheaper but much smaller than Volvo’s VLVLY 0.78% XC40 Recharge or the famous Tesla TSLA -3.71% Model Y (rear-seat legroom is very limited in the EX30). Some people find that extra-small is too big, and we really think those people should check out the EX30.
This wave of electric SUVs, including the new Volvo EX30, has been driven and tested for hundreds of hours.
What’s new for 2025
The brand-new electric car The Swedish car company Volvo’s smallest, cleanest, and least expensive SUV is the EX30. Plus, it’s the fastest Volvo ever, which is a nice bonus. It was shown for the first time in June 2023, and a tough EX30 Cross Country type is being made.
Price of the 2025 Volvo EX30
The 2025 Volvo EX30 has a starting sticker price of $36,245, with the range-topping EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra kicking off at $47,895.
| MSRP | KBB Fair Purchase Price (nat’l average) | |||
| Single Motor Extended Range Core | $36,245 | TBD | ||
| Single Motor Extended Range Plus | $40,195 | TBD | ||
| Single Motor Extended Range Ultra | $41,895 | TBD | ||
| Twin Motor Performance Plus | $46,195 | TBD | ||
| Twin Motor Performance Ultra | $47,895 | TBD |
Right now, only three EVs cost less than the 2025 Volvo EX30. The 2024 Nissan Leaf starts at about $29,000, the 2024 Mini SE at around $31,000, and the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric, which has been updated, at around $33,000. Other great EV choices at lower prices are the 2024 Kia 000270 -1.85% Niro EV, which starts at around $40,000, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which starts around $42,000. The 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge electric SUV starts at about $52K, based on what I saw at the Volvo store.
Always look at the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to see how much you should pay for a Volvo EX30 before you buy it. Early signs show that the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge electric SUVs will keep their value well, which is good news for the EX30. If you can get more money back when you sell your old car, you may be able to make a bigger down payment and lower your monthly payments on your next one.
Can I get a federal tax credit for the 2025 Volvo EX30?
Since the Volvo EX30 isn’t made in the U.S., it can’t get the $7,500 government tax credit that some buyers of some electric cars can get. But you might be able to save that much money if you lease a Volvo EX30. The rules change all the time, though, so when the time comes, be sure to check out our guide to EV rewards, which is always being updated.
Power, ride, and handling
Able to sprint from 0-60 mph in a scalding 3.4 seconds, the otherwise unassuming little EX30 is the quickest Volvo ever made. It’s as fast as the more powerful and performance-tuned Kia EV6 GT, in fact. Even single-motor EX30 models can hit 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, which is already more accelerative force than many drivers will ever tap into. We’ve tested both. And just like in most of today’s EVs, the sensation of speed in the EX30 is magnified by how smoothly and quietly it tears away from a stoplight. For buyers who don’t live in an area that demands the foul-weather advantages of all-wheel drive, we’d recommend saving $6,000 and sticking with the single-motor version.
We haven’t found the EX30 particularly engaging on twisty mountain roads, but that’s not at all what it’s about. It’s nimble and composed around town, quiet and comfortable on the highway, and a downright pleasure to drive overall. We found the safety system that monitors driver attention to be a little sensitive – we’d get beeped at while conducting relatively short, simple tasks on the infotainment screen – but we suspect that may be refined over time with over-the-air updates.
Range and charging
So-called EX30 Single Motor Extended Range models are rated for 275 miles of driving range on a full charge. EX30 Twin Motor Performance models aren’t far behind with 265 miles of range. Volvo says both are capable of charging from 10% to 80% battery capacity in about 27 minutes on a Level 3 public DC fast charger, which is on the fast side. Charging from 0% to 100% using a Level 2 home charger can be accomplished in about 8 hours. Volvo says the EX30 will be able to use Tesla’s Supercharger network – via an adapter – starting in the first half of 2024.
Small, stylish, and smart interior
The most important thing to know about the interior of the EX30 is that there’s very little legroom for rear-seat passengers. Volvo claims 32.3 inches of legroom in back, which is less than just about every other subcompact SUV and about four meaningful inches shy of the segment average. The EX30 is best for a one- or two-person household that doesn’t need to transport even smaller humans in the backseat on a regular basis or very far.
With that critical caveat covered, we’re big fans of what they’ve done inside the Volvo EX30. In contrast with the rear seat accommodations, the EX30 feels like an even larger vehicle in front. Indeed, the key front-row dimensions are all above the segment average. We also found good spots for our drinks and phones, plus a sliding, centrally located storage bin and extra-roomy door pockets (but we wish they included a dedicated bottle holder).
Volvo tends to make famously comfortable seats, but we didn’t find the EX30’s to be anything special in that regard. After a few hours of driving, the seat bottoms began to feel a little thin, perhaps. Not a deal-breaker, but keep your long-haul expectations in check.
From a design perspective, the EX30 takes Scandinavian minimalism to a new level. The cockpit is dominated by a large touchscreen and there are very few hard buttons, but there are also just enough interesting design details – the vertical vents and cool door handles, for instance – that the cabin doesn’t feel austere.
The EX30 is short on cargo room compared to the competition, but drop the split-folding seatbacks and lower the two-tier load floor and there’s room enough to accommodate the spoils of a trip to your favorite warehouse store.
Excellent exterior
The 2025 Volvo EX30 Photo: Volvo
Measuring eight inches shorter than Volvo’s own XC40 and 10 inches shorter than the diminutive Lexus UX, the 2025 Volvo EX30 is among the smallest SUVs on the market. But it doesn’t look it. It’s sharply styled and well-proportioned, giving it a real-world presence that belies its dimensions. The clean, modern, and enduring design features sheetmetal that looks like it’s still wet as it flows smoothly over the SUV’s somewhat muscular bones. We think Volvo’s designers nailed it.
Our favorite features and tech
Pilot Assist: We’ve logged hundreds of reduced-effort highway miles using Volvo’s Pilot Assist system, cruising comfortably with our feet off the pedals and a ready hand on the wheel. We found the speed, distance, and steering assist system easy to use in the EX30 — just press down on the stalk-mounted transmission selector — but it doesn’t work as well as some others in stop-and-go traffic.
Park Pilot Assist: The only way the extra-subcompact EX30 could be any easier to park is if it could park itself. Which it can do. Very well.
Helpful Homescreen: Volvo’s latest infotainment system features a robust and smartly organized homescreen, offering a wealth of relevant information and easy, intuitive access to functions. Important, since so much is controlled via this screen, including adjustment of the outside mirrors.
Robust Google Integration: In addition to a smart interface, the EX30’s infotainment system features seamless integration of Google
GOOGL-0.40% Maps, Google Assistant, and related apps and services. By considering both your destination and charge level, for instance, Google Maps can make it easy to find efficient routes and chargers. Google built-in is especially useful if you own an Android phone or are an otherwise heavy user of Google’s ecosystem. But don’t worry, iPhone devotees, the EX30 also offers wireless Apple AAPL-0.91% CarPlay integration.
Over-the-Air Updates: Like your mobile phone, the EX30 will get better with time as Volvo releases software updates that can happen while you sleep.
Four Interior Themes: Breeze, Mist, Pine, and Indigo sound like air fresheners, but in this case they’re the four interior themes offered in the EX30. In addition to different colors, each comprises a unique combination of seating materials — none of them leather — and trim designs.
Battery and efficiency
The 2025 Volvo EX30’s battery features 69 kWh of total storage and 64 kWh of usable capacity. It can charge at up to 153 kW on a DC fast charger, and up to 11 kW on a Level 2 home charger.
Warranty
The 2025 Volvo EX30 is covered by the automaker’s new-vehicle warranty of four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, with the battery and related components covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. This level of coverage is typical among European automakers. Volvo also provides complimentary scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.
Safety
Volvo expects the EX30 to receive the coveted Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and we wouldn’t bet against it. Volvo has packed its smallest vehicle with a giant list of driver assist and intervention features to help prevent EX30 drivers from running into, backing into, or turning into something — or someone — whether inching out of the driveway or cruising down the highway.
Test vehicle
We’ve tested Single Motor and Twin Motor versions of the EX30.
This story originally ran on KBB.com.
