The Volvo EX30 is getting vehicle-to-load functionality, which will let it act as a giant power bank.
A new 148-hp base version with a smaller battery is also joining the lineup.
The update also improves the infotainment software.
What good is having a massive battery pack in your electric vehicle if you can’t use that energy to power something else when you need to? Bidirectional charging is the feature that enables that, and we’re seeing it in more and more next EVs. On Wednesday, Volvo said that the compact EX30 crossover will get vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability as part of a midlife update.
The manufacturer notes that the bidirectional charging function “can transform the EX30 into a powerbank for charging other electrical devices, like an electric bicycle, or to power appliances such as electrical tools, sound systems and camping gear.” Volvo says doing that will require the purchase of a V2L adapter (which presumably plugs into the charging port).
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Source: Volvo
Volvo says that V2L will be rolled out to existing model owners via an over-the-air update this summer. New and existing EX30s will also get an update that improves the infotainment system, bringing it up to the latest operating system version. It didn’t specify whether these features, or the new trim levels for the 2027 model year, will be available in the U.S.
The latest update to the two-year-old EX30 doesn’t make it look any different, although it does add new colors inside and out, as well as new wheel designs.
Volvo has added a smaller 51-kilowatt-hour battery pack with a WLTP range rating of 210 miles (339 km). There’s also a new single-motor base model with just 148 horsepower (down from 268 hp), which, when paired with the larger 69 kWh battery, pushes the WLTP range up to 295 miles (476 km).
Volvo has also added two new interior themes for the EX30. One is called Harvest and features “a warm light-toned aesthetic inspired by late Scandinavian summer evenings,” while the other is called Black, which brings darker tones and contrasting stitching for some extra visual punch.
Another change is that now you can configure the more rugged EX30 Cross Country with the 268-hp single-motor powertrain (previously it was only available with the 422-hp dual-motor). The manufacturer doesn’t say exactly which of these updates apply where, but we expect V2L and the interior and software changes to be present on the U.S.-spec version of the model.
The EX30 has been off to a somewhat rocky start. Initially billed as a $35,000 bargain, the little crossover got derailed when President Biden hiked tariffs on China-built vehicles. The EX30 was recently the subject of a recall due to a potential battery fire risk. Owners have dealt with a range of software bugs and annoyances, which the automaker has been working to address. Now it looks like they can look forward to a totally new and, Volvo says, “more intuitive,” interface.
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