South Africa is going to be one of the first countries to receive the new Volvo EX30 and the first shipment bound for our shores is already on the water, the carmaker has confirmed.
Priced from R775,900 to R995,900 the EX30 will be one of the most affordable electric cars in the country, beaten only by the GWM Ora (from R686,950) and BYD Atto3 (from R768,000), and the range-topping version is the fastest-accelerating Volvo ever.
“Typically, South Africa is not in the first wave of a new model’s global launch. But that’s changed with the EX30, as our initial allocation is already inbound,” says Volvo Cars South Africa MD Greg Maruszewski.
“This means we’ll see the first examples on local roads at the same time as they arrive in major markets in Europe, North America and Asia.”
The Managing Director said he expected the EX30 to become one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the country next year.
He said the local Volvo division has worked tirelessly to set EX30 pricing at a very competitive level in order to give South Africans the chance to own an electric SUV for the price of a similarly sized ICE vehicle.
Volvo says more than 150 pre-orders have already been placed for the new model. Interestingly, the range-topping EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra model has been the most popular, accounting for almost half of all local pre-orders. It is followed by the Single Motor Plus Extended Range variant.
The Twin Motor EX30 is the fastest-accelerating Volvo of all time. Pushing out 315kW, it can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds. The Single Motor models have a 200kW output.
In terms of range, the Core Single Motor model has a 51 kWh battery and a claimed WLTP range of 344km. Volvo will also be offering a pair of Single Motor Extended Range derivatives, featuring a 69 kWh battery and 480km claimed range. Here you get to choose between a Plus model at R865 900 and an Ultra variant that sets you back R965 900.
The range-topping Twin Motor Performance model, with a claimed range of 460km, is priced at R935 900 in Plus format and R995 900 in Ultra guise.
The standard-range EX30 Core has a lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) that’s cheaper and less resource intensive to produce than the Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) lithium battery that provides juice to the extended range models.
The cabin of the EX30 is highly digitised, lacking traditional buttons and switches, with a large 12.3-inch (31.2cm) vertical screen handling infotainment and climate functions. The infotainment system has built-in Google software, giving easy access to features Google Assistant and Google Maps.
Being a Volvo it goes without saying that a long list of driver assistance gizmos are available.
In the EX30’s case these include a new Park Pilot Assist, which will identify available parking spots around you and then accelerate and steer you into the chosen spot.
The EX30 is manufactured using 100% climate-neutral electricity and 17% of all steel and plastic used in the new model are recycled, which is the highest percentage in any Volvo to date. And just when you thought you got rid of that old pair of jeans, the cabin is packed with renewable materials such as denim, flax and a wool-blend featuring recycled polyester.