Volvo teases affordable EV to replace discontinued EX30
▼ Summary
– Volvo discontinued the EX30 due to tariffs that raised its price and a battery recall that made it dangerous to park indoors.
– Volvo plans to launch a new affordable EV in 2027 for the US market, with a similar price and role to the EX30 but in a larger, fun-to-drive package.
– The new affordable EV differs from a larger, family-oriented SUV Volvo may build at its South Carolina plant, which could use a “multi-fuel” strategy.
– The EX60, starting at $59,795, is Volvo’s US reset, built on a different architecture than the EX30.
– Volvo, owned by China’s Geely, struggles to build a profitable, desirable affordable EV in the US, as few companies outside China have achieved the necessary scale and supply chain mastery.
Volvo’s short-lived EX30 compact EV arrived with high hopes and left with a tangle of tariffs, price hikes, and battery recalls. Its discontinuation, however, does not mark the end of the Swedish automaker’s push for affordable electric vehicles in the U.S. Instead, Volvo is already developing a replacement model, slated to debut in 2027 with a similar mission but a more viable formula.
The news surfaced during a media roundtable this week centered on the U. S. launch of the EX60. Luis Rezende, president of Volvo Cars America, clarified that the EX30’s exit wasn’t driven solely by tariffs or profitability concerns. He revealed that a new affordable EV is in the pipeline for 2027, designed to fill a comparable niche in the lineup , though its price tag may not match the EX30’s original target exactly.
“Very similar, I would say,” Rezende said when asked how the mystery EV’s price would compare. “It’s going to be an EV that will deliver a lot of good things in a bigger space, but it will be also fun to drive, I can promise you.”
Beyond that, specifics remain scarce. Volvo executives later hinted at ambitions to build a larger, family-oriented SUV at its Charleston, South Carolina factory, but that model is expected to adopt a multi-fuel strategy rather than launching as a pure EV.
The EX60 itself represents Volvo’s bid for a fresh start in the U. S. market. Customer deliveries begin this summer, with pricing starting at $59,795 for the entry-level P6 Plus version and topping out at $68,745 for the P10 AWD Ultra variant. It rides on a different architecture than the EX30, signaling a shift in approach.
Volvo joins a growing list of automakers that have tried , and struggled , to produce an affordable EV for the U. S. that balances desirability with profitability. Few have succeeded, as the formula demands scale, vertical integration, and supply chain mastery that only Chinese companies have truly mastered. Volvo, owned by China’s Geely, must find a different path to affordability in North America.
Affordability was the EX30’s core appeal. When unveiled in 2023, Volvo promised a starting price of $34,950, positioning it as the compact, budget-friendly EV many consumers wanted. But after the 2024 presidential election, new tariffs on vehicles built in China forced Volvo to delay the EX30’s U. S. arrival until 2025. By the time it reached showrooms, the base price had jumped to $44,900 , a roughly $10,000 increase.
Then, in February, Volvo recalled the EX30 due to battery overheating and fire risks. By March, the automaker had pulled the plug on the model in the U. S. entirely.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the EX60 is the only Volvo EV available in the U. S. The EX90 is also offered.
(Source: The Verge)
