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Volvo Cars is betting that more range, and faster charging, can help overcome range anxiety.
For many drivers, electric vehicles are no longer a question of performance or price, but of confidence. The fear of running out of charge far from a plug — commonly known as range anxiety — remains one of the biggest reasons some buyers still hesitate to go electric.
Volvo Cars is betting that more range, and faster charging, can help overcome that hesitation.
The Swedish automaker said its upcoming mid-size electric SUV, the EX60, will offer a driving range of up to 810 kilometres (503 miles) on a single charge, significantly above what most vehicles in its class currently deliver. The model is set to launch later this month, according to Reuters.
Why range anxiety still matters
Range anxiety has shaped EV adoption from the beginning, but it has not disappeared as quickly as manufacturers once hoped. While urban drivers with home charging can often live comfortably with smaller batteries, long-distance travel remains a stress point — particularly in countries like the United States, where daily driving distances are longer and charging networks can be uneven outside major cities.
Concerns over charging availability, charging speed, and the risk of being stranded continue to push some buyers toward plug-in hybrids instead of fully electric vehicles. Automakers globally have struggled to turn early EV interest into sustained mass adoption for this reason, Reuters reported.
A step beyond typical EV ranges
Volvo says the EX60’s all-wheel-drive range exceeds the roughly 600 kilometres typical of most mid-size electric SUVs on sale today. A handful of models, mainly in China, already advertise similar or higher ranges, including Tesla’s long-range Model Y and Geely’s Zeekr 7X.
Still, Volvo argues that pushing past the psychological threshold of 500 miles matters as much as the technical achievement itself.
“We wanted to look at the challenges the customers face in order to own and use electric vehicles, and range anxiety is one of those key things that we wanted to tackle,” Akhil Krishnan, head of Volvo’s EX60 programme, told Reuters.
Fast charging as a second line of defence
Range alone does not solve the problem if drivers are still forced into long charging stops. Volvo said the EX60 will be able to add up to 340 kilometres of range in about 10 minutes under optimal charging conditions, allowing drivers to top up during short breaks.
That combination — long range and rapid charging — is increasingly seen as essential for EVs aimed at mainstream buyers rather than early adopters.
A critical model for Volvo’s EV push
The EX60 is the all-electric successor to Volvo’s best-selling XC60 and the first vehicle built on the company’s electric-only platform. Full pricing and specifications are expected to be revealed on January 21.
Volvo’s recent EV rollout has faced setbacks, including software issues, supply-chain disruptions and tariff-related delays affecting models such as the EX30 and EX90. The company also said it plans a recall for certain 2024–2026 EX30 vehicles due to a rare overheating risk that could, in worst cases, lead to battery fires.
Against that backdrop, the EX60 is more than just another model launch. It is a test of whether addressing range anxiety head-on can help convert sceptical drivers — especially in markets where distance still defines how people drive.
Sources: Reuters
