Volvo EX30 LCA Shows Lowest Carbon Footprint Of Any Fully Electric Volvo Car To Date
The Volvo EX30 possesses the smallest carbon footprint of any fully electric Volvo car to date1. That’s according to its life cycle assessment (LCA), which concludes that it has a total carbon footprint of 23 tonnes per 200,000 km—approximately 60 per cent less than the XC40 ICE (petrol)2.
The carbon footprint report identifies the critical contributing materials and processes to the car’s emissions. Exclusively focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the report covers the car’s life cycle, starting with the extraction and refining of raw materials and ending with the car’s end-of-life.
Using wind-based electricity to charge the EX30 substantially reduces its carbon footprint compared to global or European electricity mixes by approximately 42 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively3. This underlines the need to accelerate investments in renewable energy infrastructure globally for electric cars to reach their full climate potential.
We have completed comprehensive LCAs of the carbon footprint for three of our fully electric cars launched since 2019: the Volvo EX40, EC40, and now EX30. By making these reports available to the public, we hope to help customers make informed decisions when choosing their next electric car.
With the Volvo EX30, Volvo Cars is taking an essential stride towards our goal of becoming a fully electric car company by 2030, and the company aims to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
So far, the EX30 has the highest proportion of recycled materials of any Volvo car. Around one-quarter of the aluminium and almost one-fifth of the steel are recycled materials. In addition, around 17 per cent of all plastics within the vehicle, from interior components to exterior bumpers, are made from recycled material.
Thanks to initiatives across our supply chain and manufacturing, the LFP-equipped Volvo EX30 has a “cradle-to-gate” impact of an estimated 14.8 tonnes—just over 60 per cent of the model’s total carbon footprint4. This includes emissions generated during the production of materials and the car but excludes emissions from the use and end-of-life phases of the EX30.
Volvo Cars plans to further reduce the EX30’s CO2 impact by collaborating with suppliers across the company’s entire value chain. By 2025, for example, Volvo Cars’ battery suppliers are working towards reducing emissions from manufacturing the LFP battery by 20 per cent and by 46 per cent, in the case of the NMC battery.
To do this, the company’s suppliers aim to replace electricity usage during cell manufacturing with renewable energy sources, increase the share of recycled content in their materials, and reduce their supply chain emissions.
Production of the EX30 began in November 2023, and the first cars were delivered to their new owners in European markets late last year.
To date, the EX30 has received several prestigious awards, including Small SUV/Crossover of the Year in the News UK Motor Awards, Carwow Car of the Year 2024, Eco Warrior of the Year in the TopGear.com Awards 2023, and Car of the Year by The Sun.
1 the lowest carbon footprints of any fully electric Volvo car relate to globally available products over 200,000 kilometres of driving using the same energy mix during the use phase.
2 based on a Single Motor equipped with an LFP battery (51 kWh) with 15 years and 200,000 kilometres of driving, using an EU28 average energy mix
3 based on a Single Motor equipped with an LFP battery (51 kWh) with 15 years and 200,000 kilometres of driving, using an EU28 average energy mix
4 based on a Single Motor equipped with an LFP battery (51 kWh) with 15 years and 200,000 kilometres of driving, using an EU28 average energy mix
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