Volvo’s first EX30s are made in China, but aren’t cheap. This is good and bad

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A limited number of Volvo EX30 electric SUVs made it into Canada from the factory in Zhangjiakou, China where the car is assembled. Then tariffs on Chinese-made cars began, jeopardizing the future of Volvo’s most affordable EV.

Following the lead set by the former Biden administration in the United States, Canada announced it too would slap a 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs.

It’s no secret that Chinese manufacturers, including Volvo’s parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., are global leaders when it comes to EV production. China’s share of the global EV market hit 76 per cent in October last year – albeit with 69 per cent of those sales in China – according to the country’s Passenger Car Association. China excels at making low-cost EVs the North American market lacks.

Canada’s finance minister at the time, Chrystia Freeland, explained the 100-per-cent tariff was in response to what she described as China’s EV policy of “oversupply and overcapacity.”

“It is built on abysmal labour standards, and it is built on abysmal environmental standards,” Freeland said. Add this link?

A sudden influx of affordable cars from Chinese brands would certainly also take market share and profit away from North American automakers, hurting local workers.

The tariff came into effect in October, 2024 and caused trouble for Western automakers that have factories in China making cars for Western markets. Among them are Tesla, Mini and Volvo.

For its part, Volvo pivoted quickly, shifting U.S.- and Canada-bound production of the EX30 to the Volvo factory in Ghent, Belgium. Fear not, tariffs didn’t kill Volvo’s most affordable EV. But what about those Chinese EX30s that made it into the country before the tariff hit?

“We had on-ground supply before the Oct. 1 implementation of the tariffs,” said Jennifer Okoeguale, the communications lead for Volvo Car Canada.

Ottawa to impose 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs

That initial supply was enough to fulfill pre-orders and last dealers through 2024 and into 2025, Okoeguale said, adding that there will be a period of short supply before production at the Ghent factory ramps up in the second half of 2025.

(A recent search of inventory near Toronto turned up only five of the entry-level $55,600 EX30 Core models available, but hundreds of the more-expensive AWD models, which cost about $3,200 or $5,400 more depending on trim)

The big question for consumers, however, is price. Will Belgian-made EX30s be more expensive than the Chinese-made EX30s currently on sale in Canada?

“At this time, there are no price increases,” Okoeguale confirmed.

Of course that doesn’t rule out price increases in the future. So, if you’re looking for an EV that’s got the whiff of luxury without being too expensive, you should give the Volvo EX30 a look sooner rather than later.

Why no buttons?

It’s a tiny machine in person, looking more like a tall hatchback than an SUV. (If you want the trappings of an SUV, Volvo just announced the EX30 Cross Country, which is a little bit taller and kitted out with black plastic cladding).

Also, the rear seats are small, so knee room is in short supply. The trunk is surprisingly spacious though, with more than enough room for a big stroller, but putting adults (or toddler seats) in the back row will make things feel cramped. At least the glass roof and quality materials throughout make the cabin feel a cut above your average econobox.

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For the dashboard, Volvo has gone almost full-Tesla, putting almost everything on the central touch screen. It’s surely an effort to cut costs because why else would engineers devise something so devilishly annoying? To open the glovebox or the trunk, you must dive into the touch screen. Ugh. In another cost-cutting measure, there are no rear window switches; they can only be controlled from the front and then only by first pressing a toggle switch.

I understand that having fewer parts contributes to the car having the smallest carbon footprint of any Volvo EV. And, over 200,000 kilometres, the little EX30’s total carbon footprint is 23 tonnes, 60-per-cent smaller than Volvo’s gas-burning XC40. That’s impressive and important. But please, next time leave the buttons alone and remove parts from places passengers won’t notice.

Despite the EX30’s lovey warmly minimal Scandinavian-chic design inside and out, the lack of useful buttons, small rear seats and limited range compared to cheaper non-luxury alternatives makes Volvo’s littlest EV a tough sell as a value proposition.

Starting at $53,700, or $57,289 after fees and freight, it’s not cheap, not even by EV standards. For that price, buyers get a rear-wheel drive electric powertrain with a 65 kilowatt-hour (net) battery. Driving range is estimated by Natural Resources Canada at 414 or 420 kilometres, depending on wheel size. My test-car was the fully loaded rear-drive Ultra model, priced at $62,689, including fees and freight.

Chevrolet’s Equinox EV is larger and more spacious for second-row passengers, while ringing in at a more affordable $51,533. Oh, and it has a lot more range: 513 kilometres.

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If you’re after for something with a bit more design pizzazz, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 fits the bill. At $58,229 the Long Range model will also cover more than 500 kilometres on a charge.

Surprisingly, what the EX30 does have going for it – or at least this rear-wheel-drive model – is that it’s fun to drive. I didn’t expect that at all, but, with 253 lb-ft of torque and 268 horsepower driving the rear wheels, it can get frisky. Accelerate mid-corner and you’ll get some nice oversteer. Accelerate harder and the rear tires will skid sideways for a split-second before traction control reins things in. The EX30 is much lighter than Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 (by roughly 250 kilograms but it varies widely by trim) – and it feels like it. The ride is less clunky over bumps. The handling feels more agile and responsive.

For everyone except a handful of driving enthusiasts, the EX30’s surprisingly entertaining driving experience won’t matter much. There’s lots to praise about Volvo’s littlest EV design and commitment to lowering its carbon footprint. But, despite the fact this particular EX30 was made in China, it still feels a bit too expensive for what you’re really getting.

And so, the wait for the perfect little affordable EV continues.

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