Electric cars (EV)

I admit, it didn’t seem like the best idea. That is, I could think of a thousand and one better places to present the electric Volvo EX30 than driving on a frozen lake.

However, the EX30 proved to be in very good shape even in these adverse conditions. So at least she fought really bravely with the circuit laid out on the frozen lake. And she entertained as much as she could.

Winter is not cold here either

Please take a look map (the dating ones, of course), how far in the north of Sweden is the city of Lulea. It’s really close to the northern arctic circle, about sixty kilometers. I was looking forward to a typical winter, a winter like from a fairy tale and I got… typical Czech bad weather with dirty snow, temperatures above zero and… rain. Yes, it rained in the very north of Sweden at the end of February.

There was still enough snow, but it was already a frozen mass, mixed with mud and gravel in the cities and around the roads. This didn’t quite feel like a fairy tale to me.

Photo: Volvo

The ice was thick, but the subzero temperatures created puddles. However, thanks to the studded tires, it slid only moderately.

In addition, it slightly interfered with our plans. Not that they wouldn’t let us on the frozen lake, although one of the instructors did not forget to very jokingly ask us if we could swim. But on the surface of the less than a meter thick frozen surface, puddles appeared thickly, which added the flavor of aquaplaning to the already poor grip. “We’ve never had worse conditions here,” remarked the funny instructor, this time seriously.

Of course, we set out properly equipped for the approximately 3.7 kilometer long circuit, even the best winter tire would not stand a chance here, so Volvo equipped the “icy” EX30 with special winter tires with spikes. As you may know, in the north you can drive with these “sharp” winter tires – on asphalt, they are a bit noisier (outside and inside the car), on the other hand, the mechanical grip is completely incomparable to a classic winter tire.

Photo: Volvo

We had a rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive version available. In both cases, energy was supplied by a larger battery with a capacity of 69 kWh.

A little digression. At an event with Porsche, I drove a 911 Turbo S on an icy lake equipped with already illegal tires – there were more spikes on the tread and they were longer. And how this totally overpowered beast sat on smooth ice… and how incredibly easy it was to steer and steer sideways. However, fans and especially rally pilots know it well, the grip of racing tires with spikes is hard to imagine for an ordinary mortal.

The more modest Volvo EX30 did not have such ambitions. And it couldn’t have. But I definitely wouldn’t write that it would be boring. Very decently entertained in the end!

Do not turn off the ESP!

This was the second main message that the funny instructor gave us, after the question about swimming skills. “It’s slipping terribly today. Even I wouldn’t allow myself to turn off the stabilization in these conditions.” Well, Olaf (probably) exaggerated a bit, my colleague Eva and I set out on the track with the stabilization off from the very beginning. And we survived. Not even once did we roll over or go into an uncontrollable skid. I turn off the stabilization because it wasn’t that hot.

Photo: Volvo

This was another joke from the quad instructor. The bars around and on the track (here the red trio in the foreground of the car) should have been made of genuine Swedish steel. In fact, they were of course rubber. And we didn’t have to swim either, Olaf (probably)!

Even after “deactivation”, the stabilization was still ready to intervene, its functional window narrowed only slightly. Especially the rear-wheel drive version behaved very similarly narrow-minded, whether ESP was active or “off”. To a limited extent the car was drivable with gas, but more often than not I needed the torque to help my butt out of a corner, but nothing.

Don’t take it as a complaint, I completely understand that, especially with the rear wheel drive, Volvo has taken great care to ensure that the 200 kW and 343 Nm do not get out of control under any circumstances. After all, I wrote it right at the beginning that the EX30 is not the most suitable tool for fun on the lake. Rather, it was about showing that even with such an extreme, the electric Volvo can safely deal with it, which it certainly did.

The four-wheeler was more fun

It probably won’t surprise you that it was a bit more fun with the Volvo EX30 equipped with all-wheel drive. And I have no doubt that it would be even bigger in the dry. The version with all-wheel drive and thus two engines provides 313 kW and 543 Nm! And be careful, it accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, making the EX30 the fastest production Volvo in history! I must say that I myself was very surprised by the potential of this primarily city car with a length of 4.2 meters. Would you tell the EX30 that it can get to 100 in under four seconds?

Photo: Volvo

A tent with background is reflected in the mirror. Stylist.

Back to the ice. Thanks to the much better traction, the stabilization was noticeably more benevolent, the EX30 was really nice to drive with the gas, especially in the slalom. At the right moment, you press harder on the pedal and the butt bounces nicely. Of course, it’s still not for longer drifts, however a car designed in this way (all-wheel drive and more than decent torque) would handle this discipline perfectly.

Volvo EX30One engineOne engine with extended rangeTwo enginesPower output272 hp272 hp426 hpTorque torque343 Nm343 Nm543 NmRear-wheel drive all four wheelsAcceleration 0-100 km/h5.7 s5.3 s3.6 sMaximum speed180 km/h180 km/h180 km/hBattery capacity51 kWh69 kWh69 kWhRange 344 km 476 km to 450 km

This is where electric cars are magical. Due to the fact that you have a constant and above all a constant flow of newton meters under the right pedal, the car is controlled beautifully smoothly, everything is smooth, predictable, you don’t have to pay attention to the engaged gear, revolutions… However, even Carlos Sainz himself – a sixty-one-year-old racing legend, acknowledged, that no racer has ever been as easy to drive as Audi’s electric Dakar special. With whom, after all, he won one of the hardest races on the planet this year, as you surely know thanks to us.

And for great money

It is a very interesting car, I must write. Nordic gliding was more of such a diversion, far more important was the convenient consumption of electrical novelty even in the areas around the northern arctic circle. In both cases (rear-wheel drive and 4 × 4), we had a larger battery with a capacity of 69 kWh, which should be enough for a range of 476 km in the weaker version, and 450 km in the more powerful version. Such high numbers are far in the north on the display with a diagonal He couldn’t see 12.3 inches, but we were moving a little under four hundred with a fully charged flashlight. And the consumption was kept below 25 kWh per hundred kilometers during normal driving outside the ice kingdom. Decently. And on a frozen circuit? From 40 kWh upwards. This is, of course, extreme.

The stabilization could not be turned off completely, but the EX30 skidded quite willingly. Video: Volvo

I also liked the very clean, almost minimalist style of the new EX30. In the interior, I had to get used to all the recyclable materials for a while, the first impression is cheaper, but in the end I found my way. This austere atmosphere won’t suit everyone, we were more used to warmer materials and a more cozy feeling in Volvos, but that’s fine for me, these modern procedures suit the EX30. I was satisfied.

Photo: Volvo

The instrument panel is downright minimalist, the materials are sustainable and at first glance not exactly valuable. However, I ended up liking the inside of the EX30. This style suits me for a compact electric car.

Control concentrated in the already mentioned display is to be expected, but I would expect Volvo to keep classic, and therefore safer, buttons for some actions. I struggled a lot with setting the mirrors, which you activate first in the infotainment menu and then influence the direction itself with the buttons on the steering wheel. I know, you set it up and then you use it, but even so, it’s not exactly a happy novelty.

Photo: Volvo

An electric car without a dominant “tablet”? Hard to imagine. Infotainment runs on an Android basis, the display has a diagonal of 12.3 inches and practically everything is controlled through it. Even the exterior mirrors…

Overall, however, Volvo managed to build a really nice electric car on a Chinese basis. And as you probably already know, for very interesting money.

Photo: Volvo

You can buy the cheapest EX 30 for 869,000 CZK, it is a version with rear-wheel drive and a smaller battery with a capacity of 51 kWh, which should guarantee a range of up to 344 km. You can buy a larger 69kWh battery (still rear wheel) for 994,000 CZK, prepare 1,144,000 CZK for a quad bike. Especially for the basic price tag, the Czech market could hear… We’ll see! The EX30 definitely has the potential to be a hit with us. As I wrote, a very nice car.

2024-03-07 18:00:00
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