Eric's Autos: 2026 Volvo EX30

Electric vehicles have brought something back to the lower end of the new car market that's been absent from that end of the market for decades:

Rear-wheel drive.

It was once common for even economy cars to be rear-wheel drive. Examples include the Ford Pinto, Chevy Chevette and Datsun B210. Front-wheel drive became standard in pretty much everything by the '90s -- except for trucks and SUVs and high-end luxury/performance cars.

Electric cars are bringing that back for essentially the same reason FWD replaced RWD in most passenger cars: It's a way to simplify how a car is built and that helps to lower the cost of the vehicle.

FWD eliminates the need for a separate transmission and rear-axle assembly and a drivetrain spread out over the length of the vehicle, from front to rear.

The EV drivetrain does the same -- because there is no transmission or axle; the electric motors directly drive the wheels that propel the car. That makes it just as easy (and inexpensive) to make an EV RWD as FWD.

All-wheel drive is easy too -- just add another motor to drive the front or rear wheels.

The Volvo EX30 EV comes standard with RWD -- and sub-$40,000 base price. You'd generally need to spend another $20,000 or so to get a RWD non-electric car, because the only ones available are sold by Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and other luxury-car brands.

Here's a Volvo that's RWD for less than $40,000.

What It Is

The EX30 is a small electric crossover from Volvo.

Prices start at $38,950 for the Single Motor Plus trim, which comes standard with a 268-horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels and 261 miles of advertised fully charged range. This trim also comes standard with a 12.3-inch center touch screen, a panorama sunroof and a premium Harman Kardon audio system.

The Twin Motor Performance Plus ($44,95) gets a second electric motor (and AWD) as well as a power bump to 422 horsepower. Range goes down slightly to 253 miles.

The Twin Motor Performance Ultra ($46,650) has the same drivetrain (and advertised driving range) as the Performance Plus but adds a bundle of tech features such as automated self-parking, a surround-view exterior camera system and interior/exterior trim differences.

What's New for 2026

The single-motor (RWD) version is new and accounts for a major price cut versus 2025. Last year's EX30 came standard with the dual-motor/AWD drivetrain -- and a base price of $44,900.

What's Good

-- Much lower starting price -- and standard RWD.

-- Much stronger standard -- and optionally available -- drivetrains versus most other small crossovers in the same general price range.

-- Comes standard with the high-end audio system.

What's Not So Good

-- Significantly smaller and less roomy -- especially for backseat passengers -- than rivals like the Toyota bZ, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model Y.

-- Hyundai Ioniq5 offers similar power/performance -- and standard RWD -- in a roomier, less expensive package.

-- Driving range isn't very far and -- like all EVs -- it takes comparatively forever to recharge.

Under the Hood

Volvo offers the EX30 in both RWD and AWD configurations, as mentioned. The RWD EX30 has a single motor touting 268 horsepower, driving the rear wheels only. This configuration (one less motor) enabled Volvo to price the 2026 EX30 much more competitively than last year's dual-motor-only EX30 and still offer the most powerful standard drivetrain among EVs in the class, with a similar price.

As a point of comparison, the Toyota bZ comes standard with a 165-horsepower (and FWD) setup; the Nissan Leaf also comes standard with just 214 horsepower (and FWD). The Hyundai Ioniq5 does come standard with RWD -- and it has a lower base price than the Volvo -- but its standard single-motor drivetrain touts just 168 horsepower.

The downside to the EX's more powerful standard drivetrain is not very far standard driving range -- 261 miles. However, this is more driving range than you get with the standard-issue Toyota bZ (236 miles) and the Hyundai Ioniq5 (245 miles).

Much more power -- and performance -- is available. The optional Twin Power (dual-motor) drivetrain touts 422 horsepower and is capable of getting this small EV to 60 mph in just over three seconds. Range goes down -- as you'd expect, given the additional weight of having two motors to carry rather than just the one -- but not that much. Volvo says this version of the EX30 can go 253 miles on a fully charged battery.

You can also pull a small trailer (up to 2,000 pounds).

On the Road

The problem this Volvo EV's got is the same problem every other EV's got in that they all pretty much drive the same. It is hard to impart "Volvo-ness" into a vehicle that -- like the EVs made by Toyota and Nissan and Tesla, et al. -- has the same basic drivetrain as every other EV.

So the only way to impart meaningful differences is by powering different wheels -- and by offering more power for less money. This is the formula here. The EX30 is RWD in standard drivetrain form, as mentioned already -- and that imparts a driving feel that's more like an expensive vehicle than an entry-level vehicle. Especially as regards how it handles in the curves -- because there is a big difference in handling feel during cornering between a front-engined and a rear-engined (or front-motor'd and rear-motor'd) vehicle because the weight of the engine (or motor, in the case of the EV) is in back rather than up front.

You can feel the rear tires applying the power, pushing you (rather than pulling you, as in a FWD vehicle) forward, and there is more power than the price-competitive others, such as the Toyota bZ, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq5.

The single-motor Volvo gets to 60 mph in five seconds, which easily beats the other EVs mentioned -- and also the single-engine Tesla Y, which takes a second longer to get to 60 mph. With the twin-motor drivetrain, the little Volvo crossover is quicker-accelerating than a Ferrari. The catch is the same one that catches you in any high-powered EV. If you make frequent use of the EV's Ferrari-like acceleration capability, you'll have to stop for a charge a lot more often than the advertised 253 miles.

At the Curb

The EX30 is little -- just 166.7 inches long -- which has its pros and its cons.

On the pro side, the EX30 is not much longer than some motorcycles. This means you can fit a motorcycle (or two) in your garage, along with an EX30. It also means this little Volvo has a very tight turning circle that makes U-turning a snap and sliding in -- and out -- of tight curbside parking spots nearly as easy as parking a motorcycle.

On the con side, the EX30 is realistically a two-seater because it has a very tight backseat, just 32.3 inches of legroom back there. To put that in some perspective, the Tesla Model Y has 40.5 inches of backseat legroom -- about 8 inches more, in other words. It also has much more room for cargo: 33.1 cubic feet behind its rear seats and 75.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The little Volvo only has 12.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind its rear seats, and even with them folded, the available space only opens up to 27.8 cubic feet -- which is less than the Tesla has with its backseats up.

That said, the space available is still more than twice that available in any midsize sedan's trunk, and the wide-opening liftgate provides excellent access to the available space.

The Rest

Volvo now offers the EX with its Cross Country equipment, which includes a suspension lift (by about 3/4 of an inch) plus underbody skid plates, fender flares and a set of 18-inch wheels (19s are otherwise standard) fitted with all-terrain tires. The idea is to impart more snow-day capability and even some off-road capability, though the latter is limited by the vehicle's range and the absence of places to get recharged where there are only dirt roads.

The Bottom Line

Volvo took a step in the right direction reducing the EX30's base price -- and by offering more power for less money versus many rivals in the segment.

Whoever said a minivan couldn't be practical -- and fun -- has never experienced the Carnival.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.