2025 Volvo EX30

You can count on one hand the number of electric vehicles with a starting sticker price of less than $35,000, and on just one finger those also wearing a premium badge. Say hello to the new Volvo EX30. It offers up to 275 miles of range, and even the blindingly quick two-motor models are rated for 265 miles. It charges pretty quickly, too. And it’s a Volvo through and through, looking the part inside and out, and featuring more than two dozen cameras, radars, and ultrasonic sensors for enhanced safety and convenience. Cheaper but significantly smaller than Volvo’s XC40 Recharge or the popular Tesla Model Y (rear-seat legroom is extremely limited in the EX30), from a price and features perspective the EX30’s closest competition might come from the Hyundai Kona Electric. Extra-small is plenty big for some, and to those folks we can highly recommend taking a good look at the EX30.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of electric SUVs, including the new Volvo EX30.

The all-new, all-electric Volvo EX30 is the Swedish automaker’s smallest, greenest, and most affordable SUV. It’s also the fastest Volvo ever, which is a nice little cherry on top. It was first shown in June of 2023, and there’s a rugged EX30 Cross Country model in the works.

Only three EVs can be had for less than the 2025 Volvo EX30 right now. The 2024 Nissan Leaf starts around $29,000, the Mini SE kicks off closer to $31,000, and the redesigned-for-2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is available from about $33,000. Other compelling options at the lower end of the EV price range include the 2024 Kia Niro EV from around $40,000 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 starting closer to $42,000. Looking around the Volvo dealership, the 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge electric SUV starts at around $52K.

Before buying a Volvo EX30, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. The Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge electric SUVs have shown early signs of maintaining solid resale value, which bodes well for the EX30. Recouping more money when you sell a car can mean a higher down payment and lower monthly payments on your next one.

Does the 2025 Volvo EX30 qualify for the federal tax credit?

The Volvo EX30 isn’t built in the U.S., so it’s not eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit available to some buyers of some electric vehicles. But that savings might be accessible when leasing a Volvo EX30. The rules are always changing, however, so when the time comes be sure to check out our regularly updated guide to EV incentives.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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, including the Single Motor Ultra seen here.