Volvo EX30 Cross Country: A Great Little EV You Can’t Buy Soon
▼ Summary
– The average new vehicle in the US grew one inch wider and 22 inches longer between 2013 and 2023, a trend the article argues should be reversed due to increased energy use and collision danger.
– The Volvo EX30 is a compact, efficient electric crossover with a small carbon footprint and strong safety features, but Volvo stopped importing it to the US.
– The EX30 was initially priced at $34,950 for the rear-wheel drive version, making it one of the cheaper EVs in the US with a premium badge.
– Heavy tariffs on Chinese-made cars imposed by the Biden and Trump administrations forced Volvo to shift production from China to Ghent, Belgium.
– Despite the production shift, a 25 percent tariff on European-made cars raised the EX30’s starting price to $40,345 for the rear-wheel drive version.
Did you know that between 2013 and 2023, the average new car in the United States bulked up by an inch in width and stretched nearly two feet longer? Step outside and the evidence is everywhere. While larger vehicles may offer their drivers a sense of security, they demand more energy to move and, as physics dictates, inflict far greater damage in collisions. That context makes the story of the Volvo EX30 particularly frustrating: a compact, efficient electric crossover that could be the perfect solution, but one you can no longer buy in the US.
The EX30 is a small, safety-focused EV with a minimal carbon footprint and no compromises on protection. It seemed tailor-made for today’s market. Yet Volvo recently halted imports of the model to America. With order books closed, only roughly 1,200 units remain in dealer inventory. Once those are sold, that’s it.
Volvo first unveiled the EX30 in 2023, and the big news was the price: just $34,950 for the rear-wheel-drive version before any tax credits. That positioned it as one of the most affordable electric vehicles available, especially with a premium badge attached. Then geopolitics intervened.
The low sticker price depended on manufacturing in Zhangjiakou, China. But heavy tariffs on Chinese-made cars, imposed by the Biden administration in 2024 and escalated by the Trump administration the following year, forced Volvo to pause imports. The company shifted production for US-bound cars to its factory in Ghent, Belgium.
Even European-made cars now face a 25 percent tariff. That pushed the EX30’s starting price to $40,345, including destination charges, for the rear-wheel-drive version. The twin-motor all-wheel-drive model now starts at $46,345.
(Source: Ars Technica)
