It’s no secret by now that Volvo has been struggling to sell its EVs in an already oversaturated market. Their three current EV SUVs, the EX90, EX40 (aka XC40 Recharge), and EC40 (aka C40 Recharge), are all positioned as premium offerings, with prices starting in the $50,000 range.
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Comparatively higher prices for lower-range figures
As we covered earlier this week, Volvo sold less than 13,000 EVs in 2023 and less than 5,000 until November 2024. In that month alone, Volvo sold just 493 EVs in the United States. Compare that to Hyundai moving 40,000 Ioniq 5 crossovers in just November, and the situation becomes clear.
Volvo’s range figures aren’t the best either considering their price figures. For comparison, the EX40 starts at $53,745 with 293 miles of range. The Tesla Model Y’s highest range is 337 miles with a $44,990 MSRP. An upsell of over $9000 for 44 fewer miles of range is not a great look.
Volvo
Volvo’s EVs will soon be able to take advantage of the NACS standard
Volvo recently announced that starting in 2025, its EX40, EC40, and upcoming EX90 EVs would be able to take advantage of the North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug and thus charge at Tesla Supercharger stations. Newly purchased vehicles would have an adapter included in the sale while existing owners can buy one for US$230. The smaller EX30 will get adapters in the future.
The Volvo Cars app maps out public charging stations, displays their status, and allows owners to pre-pay for charging before they even arrive.
“As part of our journey to electrification, we want to make life with an electric car, including our new flagship EX90, as seamless as possible,” said Mike Cottone, President of Volvo Car USA and Canada. “Today we are taking a major step to providing access to easy and convenient charging infrastructure for Volvo drivers in the United States and Canada, furthering our commitment to EV adoption.”
Related: Tesla’s NACS to become official US EV charging standard
Volvo
A good move from Volvo, but will it be enough?
There are over 17,800 Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada so this is by all means a good move, especially considering that NACS will become the official US charging standard.
That doesn’t change the aforementioned issues with Volvo’s EVs, namely pricing and range, but at least owners will be able to charge faster at more stations. If Volvo truly wants to be competitive, those prices need to come down or batteries need to get bigger. A combination of both would be ideal.
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