2025 Volvo EX30 Charging Test Is 'A Little Disappointing'

The cheapest Volvo just happens to be an EV. Here’s how it handles DC fast charging.

Volvo EX30 charging test

Photo by: EV Buyers Guide (YouTube)

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Feb 15, 2025 at 8:30am ET

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The 2025 Volvo EX30 starts at $44,900 in the United States.
Volvo claims it takes 26 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%.

The Volvo EX30 small electric crossover is arriving now at dealerships in the United States. It’s billed as the automaker’s cheapest car—and it will be once the sub-$40,000 single-motor version goes on sale. The dual-motor variant is all we have now, which is still an attractive proposition for those who want a stylish EV that also happens to have a pretty impressive spec sheet.

It’s very fast, ripping from zero to 60 miles per hour in as little as 3.4 seconds. But how far can it go on a full charge, and how fast it can charge once the battery is low? According to Volvo, the EX30 Twin Motor Performance can drive up to 253 miles on a full charge. Once you stop, the Swedish automaker claims it takes 26 minutes to go from a 10% state of charge to 80%.

Things are a little different in reality, as the EV Buyers Guide video below shows. The eight-minute clip features a U.S.-spec Volvo EX30 driven to just a 3% state of charge, then hooked up to a DC fast charger. The first attempt was at a Tesla Supercharger, but that didn’t work despite Volvo EVs having Supercharger access in North America. As a result, the charging test was done at a nearby Electrify America station.

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The session started at 3% SoC with the power hovering around 20 kilowatts. At 8% SoC, power shot up to about 150 kW. At 30% Soc, the charging rate dropped to 130 kW and fell to 120 kW at the 40% mark. By the time the SoC reached 70%, the charging speed was 67 kW. At 80% it bottomed out at 45 kW.

In total, it took one hour and ten minutes to get this particular Volvo EX30 fully charged from 3%. This isn’t record-setting, but it’s important to note this doesn't reflect the typical 10% to 80% charge time referenced by automakers. That benchmark is more relevant for long road trips, and in this case, the EX30 recouped 177 miles of range in 30 minutes, according to the car’s display.

That’s not bad, but it’s a little longer than the 26 minutes Volvo advertises.

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The most efficient charging appears to be from 10% to 50% state of charge, taking just 12 minutes for 101 miles of range. That works out to 8.4 miles per minute. Keeping the car plugged in until 60% yielded a range increase of 126 miles or 7.9 miles per minute. Going from 10% to 80% added 5.9 miles of range per minute, according to the video. In other words, it’s better to stop more frequently for quick top-ups than to drive further and charge more at once. You’ll reach your destination faster this way.

All this being said, the Volvo EX30 is better at DC fast charging than some of its competitors, such as the Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV and Chevrolet Bolt EV.

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