Looks Like The Volvo EX30 Is Finally Coming To America This Year After Months Of Delays

Sometime you have to wait a bit longer than expected to get the thing you want, and prospective Volvo EX30 owners have been basically waiting a year. The brand’s entry-level EV was delayed earlier this year due to an escalating trade war, leaving those with deposits wondering when in 2025 they’d finally receive their EV. Well, it looks like the first EX30 examples to come stateside will ship ahead of schedule, as Volvo has announced deliveries by the end of 2024. Still late, just less late than expected.

When the Volvo EX30 first dropped at a June 2023 reveal event in Milan, the internet loved it. Here was a reasonably small EV with up to 275 miles of range that was set to cost $36,145 including freight and both look and feel reasonably premium. A chic urban crossover for the Lululemon set, if you will. We later drove it and found it reasonably enjoyable. User interface quibbles like digital activation of the glovebox release and hazard warning lamps aside, it’s a spacious, comfortable, unexpectedly quick little crossover with funky colorways and clean styling.

However, earlier this year, Volvo hit a snag. See, America implemented a 100 percent tariff on Chinese-built EVs, and guess where the EX30 was expected to be built for the American market? That’s right, China. After all, it rides on Geely’s SEA2 platform, so why not build it alongside other cars on the same platform? Seemed like a good idea at the time, but the tariff forced Volvo to pivot. For the U.S. market, all EX30s would be built in Ghent, Belgium, and tooling up a plant like that takes a while. Back in June, Volvo claimed an arrival sometime in the first half of 2025, but it seems like those estimates are being beat — sort-of.

See, while the first EX30s will likely arrive on U.S. soil by the end of the year, only one variant is dropping at first. As Volvo states:

In response to strong consumer demand, Volvo Car USA has prioritized the most requested model: the 422 hp EX30 Twin Motor Performance, available in Plus or Ultra equipment levels with a starting MSRP of $44,900.

Yeah, that’s the quickest and most expensive EX30 variant, but it’s easy to see why that’s prioritized. Lots of Americans like the security of all-wheel-drive, and with a relatively reasonable starting MSRP, it wouldn’t be surprising if people were splashing the extra cash. At the same time, more expensive trims are usually more profitable for automakers, so Volvo’s likely looking to get its paper up. The rear-wheel-drive single-motor model is expected to arrive in 2025, although there’s no word yet on how close to the planned price of $36,145.

Still, for early deposit-holders still looking for a little slice of Swedish style, the arrival of the first EX30s by the end of the year is good news. Plus, anyone who takes delivery by the end of 2024 and leases should still qualify for federal tax credits, even though the crossover’s not made in North America.

(Photo credits: Volvo)

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