2025 Volvo EX30

GULLTRÄSK, Sweden — The irony of testing the new 2025 Volvo EX30 on a frozen lake mere miles south of the Arctic Circle is about as strong as the nonstop snow whipping my face upon exiting the sumptuously warm haven that is this little crossover’s colorful interior. Chances are, very few EX30 buyers in the United States will find themselves in such extreme conditions that studded winter tires become a non-negotiable item. But hey, when the opportunity arises to put what is arguably one of the most exciting new EVs introduced in the past year through the sort of ice driving Volvo does while testing on the company’s Swedish home turf, the only reasonable answer is, “Yes, please.” Why’s the EX30 so exciting? There are 36,245 reasons why. Most new EVs are inarguably expensive propositions, but with a starting (and startling) price of just $36,245, the EX30 aims to buck that trend. Not only is it inexpensive in comparison to the vast majority of EVs on sale today, but on paper and in person, it looks like a car one would expect to cost significantly more. The EX30’s performance figures are a huge contributor to this disconnect. Its single-motor, rear-drive model produces 268 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque (0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds), while the dual-motor AWD model amps that up to a rocking 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque (0-60 in 3.4 seconds). The performance party trick here is that the EX30 is lightweight for an EV, coming in at just 4,140 pounds with AWD or 3,858 pounds with RWD – that comes in handy when you’re on ice. The Björnträsk Ice Track just outside the hamlet of Gullträsk is not easy to get to. First, one must find your way to the Baltic-adjacent town of Luleå, Sweden. It’s one of the most bustling towns in the remote landscape that is northern Scandinavia, and it just so happens to host a small airport, which sees about nine arriving flights per day. Luleå is far enough north that it’s covered in a permanent blanket of snow from November until spring hits, and the snow coverage you see on the coast only increases the further one drives inland. Unlike most winter-stricken American states, Sweden doesn’t use salt to help clear snow and ice from its roads. Instead, gravel is used in abundance, but frankly, it’s not much help when snow consistently covers it right back up. What you’re left with is hard-packed snow on all the roads, making studded tires – that you hear everywhere while walking around town – compulsory and something you don’t want to argue about. If your average American driver were to be airdropped into this reality, traffic everywhere would be miserably slow and an absolute nightmare. But not the Swedes! Thanks to the biting grip of studs and massive rally lights affixed to nearly every vehicle, neither the snow nor the everlasting darkness of winter – close to 24 hours a day at winter’s …
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