From large companies like Amazon to small plumbing businesses, electric vans are transforming the world of delivery and trade.
Now, Volvo has joined companies such as Renault, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford, which have all recently introduced electric options to their extensive van ranges.
Volvo UK has converted its smallest car, the EX30, into a load-hauling van. Named the EX30 Cargo, it has been designed for business use and is available exclusively through Volvo’s fleet sales channels, rather than at dealers.
It loses the regular EX30’s rear seats in favour of a flat-floored cargo bay, which also brings unique door cards and panelling through the compartment to maximise load space.
To that end, its cargo capacity is improved to 1000 litres, up from 318 litres in a normal EX30 with its seats up, and it can carry up to 390kg at a time.
The rear doors open wider than on a regular EX30 to make it easier to access its cargo bay, and there are a range of attachment points for securing smaller loads. The rear windows are tinted to help hide the cargo from the outside, too.
The Cargo conversion can be applied to the EX30 in a choice of three trims – Core, Plus, and the high-riding Cross Country Plus – and four powertrains, with outputs ranging from a single motor with 148bhp to the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 423bhp.
The latter output gives the passenger version a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds, so the van should also have the pace to trouble thoroughbred sports cars.
Volvo has fitted the EX30 Cargo with a lot of equipment as standard, including adaptive cruise control, front and rear park assistance, a reversing camera, wireless smartphone connectivity, and a heat pump for improved efficiency.
It’s not the first time a car maker has converted an electric passenger car into a spacious cargo variant. Back in 2020, Renault revealed the Zoe Van, which lost its rear seats but gained a load capacity of 387kg.
Similarly, the Dacia Spring gained a Cargo variant. Inside, the Spring Cargo omits the passenger car’s two rear seats, leaving a flat load bay that’s separated from the cockpit by a net. Dacia claims the extended boot measures 1085 litres, while the maximum payload is rated at 370kg.
