In the face of the impact of electrification and intelligence, in recent years, more and more traditional luxury brands have entered the pure electric vehicle market, but their products have failed, and there are very few models that can achieve a double harvest of reputation and sales. On the one hand, due to the lack of electrification technology reserves, the product strength is limited; On the other hand, they do not know enough about the Chinese market to meet the needs of Chinese consumers. Against this backdrop, Volvo's all-new all-electric EX30 is clearly on the rise.
A few days ago, Volvo's domestically produced EX30 was officially unveiled, and the new car will also be shown to the public for the first time at the Beijing Auto Show. We also experienced Volvo's new pure electric product for the first time, and then we will take a look at how this new EX30 can help Volvo open up the Chinese pure electric market.
Featuring "Small but Mighty"
As the smallest and cheapest model in Volvo's history, the EX30 is based on the SEA vast architecture developed by Geely Automobile, and is on the same platform as the Zeekr X and smart Elf #1. The smaller model and the platform from Geely have allowed the car to enter a new price range as well, and Volvo hopes to win over luxury entry-level buyers with a lower price tag.
The same platform as ZEEKR X and smart Elf #1 also means that one of the big selling points of this car is the handling.
In terms of powertrain, the Volvo EX30 offers two powertrains, four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive. The rear motor of the all-wheel drive system uses a Sic permanent magnet synchronous motor. The system has a maximum power of 315kW and a peak torque of 543Nm, and accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. The rear-wheel drive model has a maximum motor output of 200 kW and a maximum torque of 343 Nm. The Volvo EX30 is powered by a ternary lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 66 kWh, and has a range of 590 km for the CLTC rear-wheel drive long-range model and 540 km for the all-wheel drive model.
In the actual driving process, the power reserve of the new car gives people enough confidence, 100 kilometers of acceleration 3.6s, coupled with the flexible body, making it easy to change lanes and overtake, especially suitable for driving on urban roads, for young consumers who like driving control, the handling of EX30 is definitely a choice that young people can not refuse.
In terms of chassis, the new car is a front MacPherson rear five-link suspension, which has been carefully tuned by the Volvo team, which can absorb shocks well when crossing potholes, giving drivers good feedback and not giving people a loose feeling. The 50:50 front and rear weight ratio, better body integration and good chassis toughness also give the driver stronger confidence.
It is worth mentioning that it has a small size with four wheels and four corners, the size is only 61% of the standard parking space, which is very suitable for parking on narrow roads, and its steering diameter is the smallest in its class, so it can easily cope with parking U-turns. It is easy to drive and stop, which is a big benefit for female drivers.
In terms of intelligent driving assistance, the new car also takes into account driving comfort, convenience and safety, and is equipped with intelligent lane change assist, large vehicle departure assist, lane keeping assist, ACC adaptive cruise control and other functions. The actual use is also at the mainstream level, which can greatly relieve the driver's energy, and is also more in line with the positioning of its luxury brand pure electric products.
Smart and safe are hard dishes
As Volvo's entry-level pure electric product, in terms of appearance, the Volvo EX30 continues the brand's signature "Scandinavian design" style. The front face features a highly recognizable "Thor's Hammer" LED headlight cluster, similar to the previously announced EX90. At the rear, the car adopts a new split tail light cluster, the upper light cluster extends to both sides of the rear window, and the overall shape is similar to that of the EX90, with the addition of the "Volvo Asia Pacific" logo to represent its domestic identity.
The body side size is compact, in terms of dimensions, the car is 4233/1838/1555mm in length, width and height, and the wheelbase is 2650mm, and in terms of space, EX30 provides enough rear space. The experiencer is 178cm tall, and while maintaining the right seat position in the front row, there is a punch left in the rear legroom and headroom.
At the same time, the minimalist interior design and large-area sunroof make the rear seat space without a strong sense of oppression. And the rear seats can be folded down in a 4/6 ratio. The trunk volume can be expanded from 318L to 904L.
Inside, the new car adopts the same clean Scandinavian design style, with a 12.3-inch single-screen infotainment system in the center console, and a sound bar on the side of the instrument panel under the windscreen. At the same time, the car has 5 exterior colors, 4 interior themes, and 5 interior atmosphere lights to choose from. The seats, dashboard and door trim are made from recycled and renewable materials, which also makes the interior of the new car odor-free, and Volvo has really put a lot of thought into the materials.
In terms of intelligent interaction, it is also the main convenient operation, and the operating system is simple and easy to use. Its built-in 8155 chip, in terms of voice response speed and recognition are not bad, navigation, music, and even open windows and other functions can be achieved through voice, it is indeed at the mainstream level of domestic electric vehicles.
Of course, safety has always been in Volvo's DNA, and the Volvo EX30 adopts SafeSpace Technology, which brings comprehensive safety protection with high-strength body structure design, advanced airbag protection system and powerful driving assistance system.
For example, it is equipped with the BLIS blind spot information system, which can monitor the fast-approaching vehicles behind and trigger an alarm if there is a risk of collision. If the driver changes lanes, the system determines that there may be a risk of collision and will help the vehicle turn back into the lane to avoid a collision.
In terms of battery safety, the EX30 battery achieves "precise temperature control" from the battery cell to the BMS, and ensures that there is no open flame and no toxic and harmful gases entering the passenger compartment for 5 minutes after the thermal runaway alarm signal occurs in the vehicle. In the event of an offset collision (such as a collision between two vehicles, a collision with a tree or a pillar, etc.), the structure of the swing arm mounting point can be realized to fall off to ensure the safety of the cockpit occupants.
According to public data, after selling 113,400 pure electric vehicles worldwide in 2023, achieving a year-on-year increase of 70%, Volvo's pure electric vehicle sales in February this year increased by 14% year-on-year to 11,000 units, setting a new record again, accounting for 22% of total sales.
Among them, the Volvo EX30 became the main driver of this achievement. After its launch in Europe, Japan and Brazil, 5,863 Volvo EX30 units have been sold in the first two months of 2024. It can be seen that consumers have recognized this new Volvo pure electric product.
Through in-depth experience, Volvo EX30 is a good model in terms of design and driving control, and it is still as kind as ever in terms of configuration and safety, first-class driving control, intelligence and safety are the main selling points of EX30. In the future, with a very sincere price, I believe that it will also successfully open up the young consumer market.
The arrival of EX30 means that all new products of Volvo in the future will use the native pure electric platform, and Volvo will also bring more pure electric products with great sincerity.