Is the Volvo EX30 a Frozen Disappointment?
The new 2025 Volvo EX30 should be a boon for Volvo’s electric vehicle sales. Despite being an EV, the EX30 is the most affordable vehicle in the brand’s lineup. This makes it much easier for some consumers to own a luxury ride. Volvo is a Chinese-owned Sweden-based company, which should mean any electric vehicle from this brand would perform well in the cold and snow, but that might not be the case.
What does the new Volvo EX30 offer?
This small and affordable EV has several trims and two different powertrains. Single-motor models deliver 268 horsepower, while dual-motor versions return 422 horsepower and AWD when the vehicle is set in Performance Mode. Only the rear motor drives this small SUV when not in Performance Mode.
The EX30 uses a 64.0-kWh battery pack rated to provide up to 275 miles of driving range per charge in the single-motor model. The dual-motor AWD version has an estimated range of 265 miles on a full charge.
A tested model in Swedish winter didn’t pass muster
One automotive reviewer, Christoffer Gulllin, who runs a large Swedish-based EV-oriented YouTube channel, took the Volvo EX30 out for a test drive to see how far the batteries depleted during a drive in Swedish winter. He drove this little SUV in zero-degree temperatures through snow but on a smooth, even road.
During Gullin’s first run, he started with a battery at 83% of full charge. He completed a drive of 68.3 miles with 68% of the battery charge remaining. After a stop to top the batteries to 80%, he drove back the same distance. When completed, the batteries dropped to 30% of full. This means the batteries lost 50% of the full charge during a drive of less than 70 miles.
Considering this version of the Volvo EX30 should return 265 miles when charged fully. During, the return trip depleted the batteries by more than 130 miles’ worth of charge while traveling less than 70 miles. That’s pretty alarming.
Could Volvo update the EX30’s software?
The Volvo EX30 tested by Gullin used pre-production software. This means there’s still time for Volvo to fix this problem and give this little SUV features that allow the batteries to last longer. The most disappointing aspect of this test is that the EX30 isn’t built to maintain driving range during a harsh Swedish winter. Considering Sweden’s northern location, this should be a priority with every Volvo vehicle.
Check out Chrisoffer Guillin’s Volvo EX30 range test in the video below.
Source: InsideEvs
