Volvo has stopped taking online reservations for the EX30 electric compact crossover in the United States. Previously, potential customers could browse the company’s website and place a $500 pre-order for the entry-level EV, but that’s no longer the case, with the only option available being a “Keep me updated” button at the bottom of the page.
Wannabe shoppers could still reserve the EX30 if they visit a dealership, as Cars Direct noted, but this latest move from the Swedish-based automaker reflects the murky future of the battery-powered crossover here in the U.S.
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EX30, where art thou?
Increased tariffs and glitchy software have made the future of the Volvo EX30 in the United States unclear. The company said in a previous email that the entry-level EV, slated to cost around $35,000, would eventually come stateside sometime between early and late 2025.
The Volvo EX30 is already a hit overseas, with the bulk of the company’s EV sales coming from it. The same was expected to happen stateside, but a series of events put an end to the car’s arrival in North America, at least for now.
The biggest bump came from the Biden administration’s 100% import tariff hike on Chinese-made EVs (the EX30 is currently made in China at one of Geely’s factories), which left Volvo, as well as other carmakers such as Tesla, bewildered. Volvo is working to get its entry-level EV assembled in Belgium and then shipped to the other side of the ocean, but that won’t happen until next year.
A software glitch that could cause the speedometer to go into test mode, increasing the risk of an accident, prompted the Scandinavian marque to issue a recall for almost all the EX30s sold–over 70,000 units–further tarnishing the appeal of the compact EV. Other software-related issues that were discovered at the beginning of the year delayed the market launch of the car.
Gallery: 2024 Volvo EX30
In the United Kingdom, where the car has been on sale since spring, some buyers have requested full refunds after reporting issues like the central screen going blank, the steering wheel buttons being unresponsive and even failed charging attempts.
Stateside, Volvo sent a letter to reservation holders last month, where it said that the $35,000 EV won’t launch until 2025 and that those who don’t want to wait any longer can get a $2,500 discount on the purchase of another all-electric model such as the XC40 or C40 Recharge (which were renamed EX40 and C40), both of which have an MSRP of over $50,000.
