Testing the new Volvo EX30. Can the Swedes’ compact e-SUV challenge rivals like the Tesla Model 3 & VW’s I.D.3? And, as China targets EV expansion but German manufacturers' EV plans falter, we ask – is the EV dream dead?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00The path towards a sustainable mobility will in many, many, many use cases be an electric one.
00:30Is this the new best value for money EV? The Volvo EX30? We'll find out right now. Welcome to REV.
00:40The EX30 is a compact EV that the Swedish carmaker has aimed squarely at rivals like the VW ID.3,
00:47Opel's Astra Electric and the Tesla Model 3.
00:51The entry-level price for the Volvo EX30 is just around 36,600 euros. What do you get?
00:59Well, first of all, you get a bunch of assistance systems. Almost anything you could wish for,
01:04blind spot assist, oncoming traffic mitigation, it will recognise pedestrians, bicycles,
01:11bikers. So in a safety sense, you get everything you need. There's also a neat party trick.
01:19The EX30 features the latest generation of Volvo's automatic parking system,
01:24which can handle both parallel and perpendicular manoeuvres. Empty spaces on either side of the car
01:30are detected when driving at speeds under 22 kilometres per hour and then displayed on the
01:35touchscreen. As soon as the driver has selected a spot, the park assist pilot steers the vehicle
01:40into place by taking over the steering, gear shift, accelerator pedal and brakes.
01:46The driver gets continuous progress updates via the display.
01:50What else do you get? A 200-kilowatt rear-wheel-driven car with a 51-kilowatt-hour battery
01:57that will achieve around 350 kilometres of range. If you compare that to, for example,
02:03others in the compact segment, let's say Opel Astra Electric, VW's ID.3 or Tesla Model 3,
02:11then all of these will start at around 41,000, 42,000 euros. And even though some of these will
02:20have more range than the Volvo, some will also have less range and also way less power for a
02:26price that is way higher than that of the Volvo. Bigger and pricier versions of the EX30 include
02:33the single-motor long-range model with a bigger battery reaching up to 476 kilometres and the
02:39sporty dual-motor with 315 kilowatts of power. So what are the downsides? What won't you get in
02:46the Volvo EX30? One of the things you won't get is an instrument cluster. So behind the steering
02:53wheel there's nothing. If you want to know how fast you're driving, the speed limit or any other
02:59information, you will find all of that in the central display in the infotainment system. That
03:05takes some getting used to, but usually after a few minutes you will have found yourself looking
03:11at the right spot instead of searching for your current speed behind the steering wheel.
03:16And just to be certain you have a safe journey, there's Volvo's onboard computer keeping an eye
03:22on things too. The general driving impression in the EX30 is absolutely nice. What you would
03:30expect from a Volvo, it is very comfortable. The loudness in the interior is okay as well,
03:38nothing too loud, but also not too silent. In city traffic in particular, one-pedal driving,
03:46which is possible in all variants, ensures greater comfort and increased range.
03:53Another positive factor on the range front is the onboard heat pump, which comes standard,
03:59except in the single motor edition. There's no other way to put it, the interior of the EX30 is
04:09clean. There are absolutely no buttons, some at the steering wheel, but that's about it.
04:15The infotainment system is as usual with Volvo or Polestar cars, upright. That's okay,
04:22it reminds you of your smartphone and it's also easily operatable.
04:30The touchscreen looks very good, it's quite bright, it's easily readable even if there's
04:36sunshine on it. It has Google Maps on it, so if you plan to do a longer trip, the car will
04:44automatically find a charging spot along your route and then preheat the battery so it's in
04:50an ideal state to get charged. The only thing is, if you plan to charge on your own or if you don't
04:56use the navigation, then the battery won't be preheated and in worst case, it won't charge as
05:03fast as it could. What you also can see is the side doors are clean as well. There's not even
05:13a lever for the windows because this one is right here in the center console. And what you also have
05:19in the center console is two cup holders. And if you don't need them as cup holders, for example,
05:25if you want to put anything else inside, then you just put that away and you can place whatever
05:31item you want to in that tray. That's pretty nice. The vehicle can be shared with friends and family
05:38via an app that enables it to be moved without the key. There's also a remote function for
05:44checking whether the vehicle is locked and the windows are closed. The same goes for preheating
05:49or cooling the interior, activating the horn or locating the vehicle. The space in the back is
05:56definitely what you would call compact. There is almost no legroom left. It's OK. You can put it
06:04in the middle because there's a little more space or at the side. The headroom is absolutely OK,
06:10also because of that huge panoramic glass roof. But the seating position is not exactly comfortable
06:18because, as you can tell, the floor is quite high due to the battery, of course. And then you will
06:25have your legs bent quite a bit. And that is not a position you will want to keep for a long distance
06:32trip. The seats, as such, are quite comfortable. No questions asked. But the position isn't.
06:49Just as in the front, you have no buttons in the door. Instead, the window levers are here in the
06:58middle, where you will also find two USB-C sockets for smartphone charging. There are also handy
07:04phone pockets in the front seat backs. While the frunk has a capacity of 19 litres, the trunk can
07:11fit in between 318 and 904 litres of cargo. Anything you want to adjust in the car is done
07:26via the central touch display. And that is also true for the sideview mirrors, which, by the way,
07:32look quite nice because they are almost borderless. But you need to choose the mirror adjustment from
07:38the menu in the infotainment system. And then you do it with the buttons at the steering wheel,
07:42similar to what Tesla has. It is not intuitive, but you do it only one time. Since the car has
07:51memory function for the different drivers, it is okay. There's no start button for the engine. To
07:59get the vehicle going, the driver simply presses the brake pedal and engages forward or reverse
08:05using the gear shift. Summing up my Volvo EX30 experience, I like driving the car. Even though
08:17I'm not a fan of SUVs, it is quite nicely motorized. The fact that you don't have an instrument cluster
08:25is forgotten after a few kilometres. And the integration of Google Maps in the infotainment
08:31system is also a thing I really appreciate. Things I didn't like were the range that is a
08:40little small and the space in the back. But all in all, a very decent car that offers very good
08:47value for money. The EX30 might not be the best value EV, but the entry-level model is still a
08:54very good car at a reasonable price, despite the deficit of space in the rear. Of course,
08:59if you'd like the go-faster dual-motor version that manages to hit 100 kph in under four seconds,
09:05you'll have to shell out upwards of 48,000 euros in Germany, which is almost 12,000 more than for
09:11the entry-level version. With the Volvo EX30 then, it comes down to a question of savings versus speed.
09:21Cars. Cars. Cars. A global phenomenon with millions of unique stories.
09:30That's the DNA of RAV. German car fans, we need you guys wherever you are, however rusty or slick the ride is.
09:40But the question is now, where should we go next? Write to us wherever you are.
09:45Send us your stories and your crazy car enthusiasts. Let's catch up soon on RAV.
09:50A rumor, or actually true. Many voices in China believe that the EV is going to die,
10:05because the traditional German legacy brands like Mercedes and Co cannot compete with the
10:11up-and-coming Chinese EV makers. So they are now on the verge of throwing in the towel.
10:16I'm Jun Yan from DWRAV, and I'm eager to show you, is that the case or not?
10:47This left me, who had already jumped on the bandwagon and purchased two electric vehicles,
11:00instantly baffled. What's going on? What happened to…
11:05The vision is clear. A purely electric portfolio.
11:09And yes, we firmly believe that electric mobility is going to support a sustainable
11:16and zero emission future. Do these goals no longer count?
11:21Have the massive investments in the electric vehicle sector by German automakers,
11:26including Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen over the past decade, all gone to waste?
11:39When I heard that western automakers represented by Mercedes were going to give up on the electric
11:47vehicles, I quickly checked out the more serious German financial media, such as the reports in
11:53Handelsblatt, which said these were ambitious goals. According to the internal plans, Mercedes
12:00Benz aimed to achieve more than 20% of its sales with fully electric cars in 2023. However,
12:08the Stuttgart-based company only managed to achieve an electric share
12:12of 12% after approximately 2 million cars delivered last year.
12:18Given this pace, it seems unrealistic for the traditional German automaker Mercedes
12:24to achieve its goal of fully electric sales by 2030. And so, after a round of criticism
12:31from the supervisory board, the head of Mercedes, Ola Kellenius, has put an end
12:37to his comprehensive electric strategy, essentially halving the target. By the end of this decade,
12:44the sales ratio of Mercedes hybrid and electric vehicles could at most reach a level of 50%.
12:52But from this news, can we conclude that Mercedes and even German automakers as a whole
12:58are about to give up on electric vehicles and stop competing with Chinese manufacturers?
13:05They haven't given up at all. Saying they've given up is completely nonsensical. There's
13:10no such thing. I think I would like to paraphrase a saying of Mark Twain. The reports about the
13:16deaths of the electric vehicle are greatly exaggerated. What we are seeing now is a slight
13:24dent on the road to the electric mobility. Because to whomever you talk in the industry,
13:30in the medium term, the path towards sustainable mobility will in many, many, many use cases
13:39be an electric one. And the industry is ready, willing and able to follow that path for the
13:46majority of the vehicles. So the notion that Western countries unable to compete are flipping
13:58the table, collectively giving up on electric cars and leaving China to play alone can therefore
14:05only be described as some people being overly anxious. Not long after this claim was made,
14:12some of China's own social media voices stepped forward to clarify and set the record straight.
14:20For various reasons, people have been feeling very anxious, whether it's about the wider world or
14:24themselves. One moment they think they're being surrounded by the West and the country is doomed.
14:28The next they fear AI will replace humanity and we're doomed. Such feelings are understandable,
14:32but not particularly helpful. Peter Finto is a leading technical consultant in the European
14:40automotive industry and has also witnessed the growth of China's electric vehicle industry.
14:46I think at the moment there is a very high attention to any news that concern the electric
14:53vehicles and the adoption of electric vehicles in world markets. We see at the moment the situation,
15:00we have plenty of crises around the world, political, economical and so on. And people are
15:06really somehow in fear of change in some respects.
15:15As those voices from China and Europe mentioned, the uncertainty about the future of electric
15:21vehicles may stem from the fact that we currently live in an uncertain world. Because so many of
15:28our previous understandings have been negated by new circumstances, we have started to become
15:35accustomed to negating everything. But when it comes to the future of our mobility,
15:42a highly important topic, what do the experts in Europe think? And while electric mobility is the
15:51chosen path for the industry, so there is no doubt about that every major OEM and many new entrants,
15:57they have set their bets on electric mobility as the main trend of the main form of propulsion
16:03for the future. Confucius says, flies don't target eggs without cracks. Many thoughts on the
16:11end of the EV dream are not entirely without foundation. They have also got their proponents
16:17in Germany. The EV is the future. Unfortunately, our politicians have lost interest in the future.
16:26This is Professor Ferdinand Dudenhöfer, who used to be known as the godfather of the automotive
16:32industry in Germany. As an academic, he pays close attention to and is optimistic about the
16:39development of China's electric vehicle industry and is often a VIP at official Chinese events.
16:47However, he is not optimistic about the future of electric vehicles in the European
16:52and American markets. The reason stems from politics. On the political side, there have
16:59been significant changes and these changes are slowing down the electric car. The main reason
17:04why electric cars are now weakening in Germany, in the EU, is the lack of support from the political
17:09sphere, firstly in terms of buyers' premiums and secondly, due to the general political attitude,
17:15that internal combustion engines still have a future.
17:21So this is the view of Professor Dudenhöfer as an academic observer. What have Germany's
17:27major traditional automakers recently said about the future of electric vehicles?
17:33This is Ola Kalinius, the chairman of Mercedes. As we mentioned before, he faced criticism from
17:40the supervisory board because his ambitious plan for a fully electric lineup by 2030
17:47was not achievable. Now he has changed his narrative, pushing back the deadline for
17:53completing this transition by another nine years, to 2039. So we want to achieve a net
18:02carbon neutral position by the end of the next decade. But in order not to wait for that to
18:09happen in 15-16 years, we have also set ourselves an interim target by the end of this decade
18:15and achieve up to 50% of that journey by 2030. The net zero carbon target mentioned by Mercedes
18:25is actually more ambitious than their previous goal of achieving a fully electric sales lineup
18:31by 2030. This net zero goal means that the entire product life cycle of all their vehicles,
18:39including batteries, raw material production, assembling, delivery, customer usage and
18:45recycling, would achieve carbon neutrality. And the environmental impact of electric vehicles
18:53throughout their entire life cycle is also a focal point for many critics.
18:59In the long term, battery electric vehicles will be the predominant power train. And I think the
19:07market share by 2027 will be at a tipping point. So after that, more electric vehicles will be
19:16sold than ICEs. This was the bold declaration made by the CEO of Volkswagen in 2023. Furthermore,
19:25looking across other German automakers, including BMW and Audi, achieving carbon neutrality is
19:32essentially a medium to long-term goal for all of them, with only the timelines for achieving
19:38those goals varying. Seeing that German automakers are planning to exit the electric vehicle race
19:46is therefore completely at odds with the facts.
19:57Indeed, there are many voices in Europe questioning the future of electric vehicles.
20:01For example, European countries, including Germany and France, significantly reduced subsidies
20:08for electric vehicle buyers not long ago. Before the cancellation of purchase subsidies,
20:15buying an electric vehicle in Germany could have netted you a government subsidy of around
20:214,500 to 6,000 euros. Imagine if you had bought a mid- to high-spec electric MINI.
20:29Just the subsidy alone would have amounted to roughly 10 to 15% of the purchase price.
20:37For popular models like the MINI, this level of discount was essentially the maximum
20:42a manufacturer could offer. If you had bought a cheaper entry-level electric car,
20:48priced between 20,000 and 30,000 euros, the government subsidy would have constituted
20:55an even larger proportion of the cost. But now, this money is gone.
21:01Now that the price difference is so significant, and this is the most important argument,
21:05customers are withdrawing and reverting to combustion engines.
21:09So it's the big price difference between combustion engines and electric cars.
21:13By way of comparison, China is now a paradise for EV buyers. You can get this for around about
21:2127,000 euros, this for 32,000 euros, and this for less than 17,000 euros.
21:31Of course, economic considerations are undoubtedly the primary concern for most
21:37users. Besides the purchase price, however, the continuously rising electricity prices
21:44across Europe are also a reason why many consumers are hesitant to embrace EVs.
21:51Furthermore, the first wave of trial-and-error pioneers, or the so-called early adopters,
21:58have already accumulated first-hand positive and negative experiences.
22:04Three years ago, as someone who acquired an electric car, I belonged to those early adopters.
22:11The experience of driving an electric vehicle in Europe these days isn't necessarily bad,
22:18but it's enough to fast-track you into a midlife crisis.
22:22The experience is marked by opaque public charging stations and exorbitant electricity prices,
22:29the low compatibility of charging cards, incomplete or inaccurate information about
22:35charging stations, and various frustrating charging experiences add to the ordeal.
22:42Coupled with range anxiety inherent to electric cars, all that reinforces my belief that the
22:49future of electric mobility cannot remain as it is now. I also understand better why many argue that
22:58the electric cars we see on the roads today are merely transitional products.
23:04Of course, there are dissenting voices as well.
23:08I don't agree, because if you look at vehicles from the latest generations,
23:12for example what Mercedes is doing with its S and E-Class models,
23:16they have great range, and one can manage quite well with them.
23:21Well, not everyone, however, can afford a Mercedes S or E. Of course, we can hope that
23:28carmakers will gradually democratize the battery technology used today in top models to more
23:34affordable models that the masses can accept. Regardless, the future of electric mobility
23:41will still depend on new technological advancements.
23:45The most important thing what we see here in batteries, this is a technology that starts
23:50right away, and we will have plenty of improvements over the next years in terms of price,
23:56performance, availability, and so on. So this makes me confident that electric mobility can
24:02fulfill its promises to provide sustainable, affordable mobility for society.
24:11We expect that battery technology will make significant leaps forward in the next five years.
24:18We're talking about solid-state batteries.
24:21I've also noticed that in Germany, whether people are pessimistic or optimistic about the current
24:26state of electric vehicles, they still believe that the future direction of our travel method
24:33is electric. But can those traditional German carmakers, which once won big with conventional
24:40internal combustion engine technology, and have been criticized for moving too slowly and too late
24:46towards electrification, continue to win?
24:50They have a clear vision of the future, and they are embracing it. And the future, as I said,
24:55is electric, or at least hybrid electric for the existing portfolio. So I wouldn't worry too much
25:00that we are not able to master that technology.
25:04The car godfather of Germany believes that the future of electric mobility lies in China.
25:11We're optimistic that the breakthrough will happen in China, no question.
25:16And we think it will also spread to Europe and the US. But the question always is,
25:22what will the politicians do? Politicians can let the car die or let it live.
25:29But you can't predict what politicians will do.
25:35Nevertheless, as we have heard from Mercedes, Volkswagen and others,
25:39EVs are far from that, not even fading away.
25:44Major carmakers in Germany are just adjusting the pace towards full electrification.
25:51And more automotive tales next time on REV.