Volvo has signed a deal with Tesla to adopt its NACS charging port in future all-electric vehicles. It has also gained access to Tesla's Supercharger network across the US, Canada and Mexico.
The Supercharger network in the UK (which is much smaller) is already accessible to all electric cars after Tesla opened it up to other brands earlier this year.
The agreement for North and Central America benefits all current and future Volvo EV owners, as they will be able to use 12,000 new fast-charge points dotted around each region from 2024. However, those with current cars from the brand, including the Volvo EX30 and EX90, will have to acquire a North American Charging Standard adapter.
Future fully electric Volvo models released in the US, Canada and Mexico will come with the NACS charging port already built in. They are expected to hit the market from 2025.
In addition to the NACS adapter for current models, Volvo will release a Combined Charging System (CCS) adapter to offer backward compatibility for its future EVs.
"As part of our journey to becoming fully electric by 2030, we want to make life with an electric car as easy as possible," said Volvo's CEO, Jim Rowan.
"One major inhibitor to more people making the shift to electric driving – a key step in making transportation more sustainable – is access to easy and convenient charging infrastructure.
"With this agreement, we’re taking a major step to remove this threshold for Volvo drivers in the United States, Canada and Mexico."
Volvo also recently announced the EX30, its smallest electric SUV yet. It is capable of up to 300 miles range and can hit 0-60 mph in an impressive 3.4 seconds. This is said to make it the speediest Volvo ever.
The car is made from 25 per cent recycled aluminium, 17 per cent recycled steel, and another 17 per cent recycled plastic. That makes it one of the most sustainable vehicles in its (and most other's) range.
The Volvo EX30 starts at £33,795 in the UK, $34,950 in the States and will hit the roads early next year. It also looks rather sleek and tasty, we might add.
