Volvo is working on an electric crossover to slot in below the C40 and XC40 Recharge compact duo.
The newcomer was teased during last November’s reveal of the 2024 EX90 mid-size electric SUV, and Volvo CEO Jim Rowan last month tentatively confirmed it will be called the EX30.
Rowan has since revealed the debut will take place in June. He made the latest comment during an interview with Wheels published on Monday.
“We release a smaller SUV next,” he said. “We teased that for you guys back in November, so we’ll release a smaller SUV on June 15, I think, so sometime in the middle of June this year we’ll release that.”
Jim Rowan
Production will be handled in China and sales will begin before the end of 2023. Volvo hasn’t said whether the EX30 will be sold in the U.S., though.
The vehicle will be aimed at attracting younger buyers and could potentially become the brand’s top seller. Volvo sold 615,121 vehicles in 2022 but wants to grow to around 1.2 million vehicles by 2025—half of which are to be EVs.
Given the size and positioning, the EX30 will likely be the most affordable vehicle in the Volvo lineup. This should help Volvo in its goal to attract younger buyers, as should Volvo’s plans to offer the EX30 through the Care by Volvo subscription plan. Rowan in his interview with Wheels said subscriptions with a minimum period of only three months will be available, at least in Europe.
Volvo briefly showed a shadowy image of the EX30 during the EX90’s reveal. The teaser points to a vehicle with similar styling to the EX90, but on a smaller scale.
The EX30 is expected to be based on the SEA modular EV platform from Volvo parent company Geely. The platform made its debut in 2021 in the 001 hot hatch from fellow Geely brand Zeekr and features an 800-volt electrical system for high-speed charging.
