The Volvo EX30 possesses the smallest carbon footprint of any fully electric Volvo car to date, the manufacturer said. That’s according to the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the Volvo EX30, which concluded that it has a total carbon footprint of 23 tonnes (approx. 50,706 lbs) per 200,000 km (approx. 124,274 miles) – approximately 60% less than the XC40 ICE (petrol).

The carbon footprint report identifies the key contributing materials and processes to the car’s emissions, Volvo said. Exclusively focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the report covers the car’s lifecycle, starting with the extraction and refining of raw materials and ending with the car’s end-of-life.

According to Volvo, using wind-based electricity to charge the EX30 substantially reduces the carbon footprint compared to global or European electricity mixes, by approximately 42% and 22%, respectively.

“Transitioning to electric cars is key to limiting climate change, but increased transparency about its challenges is needed to reduce their emissions even further,” Jonas Otterheim, head of climate action at Volvo Cars said. “By studying the EX30’s carbon footprint and identifying its primary materials and processes, we aim to provide valuable insights that can help guide decisions in our company toward becoming more sustainable, as well as amongst the wider industry.”

Volvo said it completed comprehensive LCAs of the carbon footprint for three of its fully electric cars launched since 2019: the Volvo EX40, EC40 and now the EX30. By making these reports available to the public, the manufacturer said it hopes to help customers make informed decisions when choosing their next electric car.

According to Volvo, the proportion of recycled materials in the EX30 is the highest of any Volvo car so far. Around one-quarter of the aluminum and almost one-fifth of the steel is recycled material. In addition, around 17% of all plastics within the car, from interior components to exterior bumpers, are made from recycled material.

The LFP-equipped Volvo EX30 has a “cradle-to-gate” impact of an estimated 14.8 tonnes (approx. 32,628 lbs.) – just over 60% of the model’s total carbon footprint. 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 said.

Volvo said it plans to reduce the EX30’s CO2 impact even further by collaborating with suppliers across its entire value chain. By 2025, for example, Volvo said its battery suppliers are working toward reducing emissions from manufacturing the LFP battery by 20%, and by 46% in the case of the NMC battery. To do this, it said its 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 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.