The announcement comes hot on the heels of the EX30’s global debut on Wednesday, 7 June 2023. The EX30 will be the second fully-electric Volvo available in South Africa, following the XC40 Recharge, which first hit South African roads in 2021. The new SUV is smaller and comes with either a rear-wheel single motor or an all-wheel twin-motor powertrain. The latter packs a total output of 315kW and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds, making it Volvo’s fastest-accelerating car ever.

The interior design of the EX30 is described as modern and minimalistic, yet “bursting with personality”. In the centre of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch high-resolution display powered by Android. Cutting-edge features include a digital key and support for over-the-air updates, as well as a unique audio system soundbar. Battery capacities on offer are 51kWh for the standard range model and 69kWh for the extended range variant. Coupled with the single-motor powertrain, the latter offers up to 480km of range on the WLTP cycle. The maximum DC charging speed for the standard battery pack is 134kW, while the extended battery pack can refill at up to 153kW. With either battery pack, a recharge from 10% to 80% will take around 25 minutes.

The EX30 has a starting price of R775,900 in South Africa and will be available to pre-order from Thursday, 8 June 2023. Deliveries are expected to begin in early 2024. Both the single and twin motor versions will be available locally, with either the standard or extended range batteries. These will also be offered in three trims — Core, Plus, and Ultra — although Volvo said even the entry-level version featured “generous” equipment levels as standard. Volvo Car South Africa managing director Greg Maruszewski said the company worked exceptionally hard to set the EX30’s local price at an “unquestionably” competitive level.

It aims to give South Africans the opportunity to own an all-electric SUV with a price at the same level as a similarly-specced petrol or diesel model. In terms of EV competition, the EX30’s price will put it up against a recent new entry from GWM. Starting at R716,900, the GWM Ora Cat has replaced the Mini Cooper SE as the country’s most affordable electric car. However, the Ora Cat is classified as a hatchback and is significantly smaller and lower than the EX30, which means the latter is the cheapest fully-electric SUV. It might not hold that title for long, however. Chinese electric car giant — BYD — is also poised to hold a launch event for the Atto 3 SUV in South Africa later this month. Its entry-level variant is also expected to retail below R800,000. Below are more images of the Volvo EX30 electric SUV.