The Volvo EX30 is finally coming to America. Yes, really.
Volvo Cars USA announced today that deliveries of the compact electric crossover will start going to people who pre-ordered them last year. And the U.S.-spec EX30 comes with a familiar price tag as well: $44,900 (or $46,195 including destination) for what Volvo said is its most requested trim level, the 422 hp EX30 Twin Motor Performance.
A Volvo spokesperson confirmed the EX30 is still being built at parent company Geely Group’s factory in Zhangjiakou, China, so that price does include the new 100% tariffs on Chinese-built EVs—the reason the car was delayed earlier this summer. The EX30’s configurator has also returned to Volvo’s U.S. website. For those who pre-ordered the cars, deliveries will begin “before the end of this year,” the automaker said in a news release.
The dual-motor all-wheel-drive EX30 can be had in Plus trim or the more loaded Ultra version, which adds Park Pilot Assist Pilot Assist, Lane Change Assist and other features for $47,895, including destination.
Interestingly, the $44,900 base price for the Twin Motor Performance version is right in line with what Volvo announced earlier this year, so its price seemingly did not increase with the tariffs. Volvo initially announced the Single Motor Extended Range model would start at $34,950, making it the cheapest Volvo on sale. That version will come in 2025, Volvo said; its updated pricing has not been announced.
At the same time, Volvo seems to be hedging its bets somewhat on deliveries of the China-built EX30 models. Automotive News reported that it “remains to be seen” if the U.S. will receive additional China-made EX30s beyond this initial shipment: “If there is a way that we can get a few more cars through, we may take that,” said Jim Nichols, head of Product and Technology Consumer Offer at Volvo Car USA. “We also want to see what the response is going to be with our reservation holders.”
In other words, the car may really begin selling in force in 2025 when its production is moved to Ghent, Belgium. That may not begin until the third quarter of 2025 as well.
53
The EX30 has had a wild ride to get here. The car debuted in New York in July 2023 where it wowed onlookers with its compact size, sleek looks and $35,000-ish starting price tag. Volvo initially planned to build the car in China in order to achieve that low cost; it’s the most affordable Volvo ever made. The specs were impressive, too. The Single Motor Extended Range EX30 has 268 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque with a range of 275 miles, while the Twin Motor Performance has 422 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. Volvo claimed that model can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, also making it Volvo’s quickest-ever production car. Many excited fans—myself included, once—put in pre-orders for the car not long after its debut.
But the EX30 quickly fell victim to geopolitics. When the Biden administration announced steeper tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, Volvo hit pause on its debut plans to figure out how, when and even if the car could be sold stateside. At the time, many assumed those tariffs would mean a much higher price than initially announced. While Volvo had always planned to also build the EX30 in Belgium to satisfy anticipated European demand for the car, that now seems to be the linchpin on which U.S. volume sales will ultimately depend. (The EX30 is currently on sale in both Canada and Mexico.)
It is, however, great news for EX30 fans who worried they would miss out. The car has since garnered rave reviews, awards and is racking up strong sales in Europe and elsewhere. Can it eventually pull off a repeat here? Time will tell, but for now, Americans are finally getting the great option they wanted.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
