The LFP version not released for the US is a greener option

The LFP version not released for the US is a greener option


In a life-cycle assessment of the Volvo EX30 electric car released Thursday, the automaker emphasized that its upcoming compact EV has the lowest carbon footprint of any electric Volvo yet.

The team behind the Analysis of EX30 looked at two versions of the EX30—one with a 69-kwh lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NMC) battery, the other with a 51-kwh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack. And it marked a big difference that makes the LFP version a greener choice.

“The NMC battery has an effect that is almost twice that of the LFP battery, per pack,” Volvo summarized, while offering 35% more capacity.

Volvo EX30 NMC vs. LFP CO2 battery manufacturing, potential future benefits

That said, there’s a big asterisk to this conclusion pointing to the greener EX30: Americans can’t choose it.

The LFP resolution seems to go beyond the EX30 as well. Volvo of the US spokesman Russell Datz confirmed to Green Car Reports that “it is not currently in Volvo’s plans to offer LFP batteries in the US”

Volvo plans to offer the EX30 with the larger NMC package alone, for an EPA-estimated 275 miles in single-engine rear-wheel drive or 265 miles with both-wheel drive.

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single motor, Cloud Blue)

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single motor, Cloud Blue)

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single motor, Cloud Blue)

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single motor, Cloud Blue)

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single motor, Cloud Blue)

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single motor, Cloud Blue)

The LFP package for Europe and China has half the CO2 impact

The analysis of the EX30 remains one of the first such reports, following studies of the carbon footprint of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2. Volvo notes that this builds on and further develops the methodology in those previous reports and says it is one of the goals. of this is so that it can be used to “make the right decisions.”

While most automakers likely keep such data and methodology to internal reports—or have the data presented to shareholders in small chunks in sustainability reports, Volvo is one of the few automakers to make it publicly available. Tesla includes some aspects of life cycle analysis, including EV battery life, in its Impact Report, but that has not been released since 2022.

Volvo found the EX30’s lifetime CO2, based on 200,000 km (124,000 miles), to be 36,000 kg and 31,000 kg, for the NMC and LFP versions, respectively. Using the same methodology, Volvo had calculated the lifetime CO2 of the XC40 Recharge to be 54,000 kg of CO2 equivalent.

2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge

2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge

Comparing that to the petrol internal combustion model, Volvo’s previous report on the XC40 Recharge put the petrol version at 58,000kg.

In the overall impact chart for each phase of the life cycle, Volvo shows that the main phase is undoubtedly the consumption phase itself. With heavy vehicle use, the impact per mile (or km) continues to decrease—to the extent that overall CO2 from all steps, per mile (or km), is only 65% ​​over a lifetime of 300,000 km (186,000 miles) than the report of 150,000 kilometers (124,000 miles).

It also notes, as Green Car Reports has pointed out in various ways, an EV starts with a high carbon footprint that pays off over the life of the vehicle, and your EV is as clean as the grid you plug it into, with the right EX30 carbon. footprint is much lower if the national grid is powered by renewable sources such as wind versus the estimated global electricity mix.

2025 Volvo EX30

2025 Volvo EX30

Small car, big battery footprint—for weight, and for CO2

It’s unusual that the battery pack in the EX30 comprises almost a quarter of its curb weight. The high-capacity NMC package contributes 858 pounds to the EX30’s roughly 4,000-pound curb weight, while the smaller LFP package weighs 902 pounds. Volvo notes that two different suppliers make the NMC cells, so it’s split the difference between the two.

On the front end alone, 44% of the CO2 footprint of the NMC version of the EX30 is in the battery pack. But the advantage of LFP is not only that; Volvo says that per kwh, LFP cells have about half the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing. And EX30 with LFP cells is also about 2% more efficient in the use phase.

Volvo EX30 life CO2 related to different phases

Volvo EX30 life CO2 related to different phases

Although the battery pack is the largest carbon component in the car, for now, Volvo points to the overall weight of the car and the balance of materials as being related to the EX30’s environmental impact and ease of manufacture. About 55% of its weight comes from aluminium, iron and steel, which accounts for 58% of the cars climate impact not counting the battery pack.

The production and improvement of materials, manufacturing facilities, and the production of the vehicles themselves all contribute significantly, too. Currently, the EX30 is built in a single factory in Zhangjiakou, China.

2025 Volvo EX30

2025 Volvo EX30

All told, 16% less CO2 for the EX30 LFP version

Applied to the entire vehicle, taking into account other aspects of manufacturing and materials as well as use, end-of-life, and more, the EX30 with the LFP pack has a 16% lower carbon footprint than the model with the NMC battery.

To put it another way, based on those results for the XC40 family, switching from NMC to the LFP package, in markets where it is offered, can show a greater improvement in lifetime CO2 than moving from the same petrol model to the NMC EX30.

It underlines why some automakers have been turning to LFP battery technology. Tesla is still stuck with only the Model 3 in its US chemistry rollout, and Ford and Rivian, among others, are not releasing the technology as quickly as originally suggested.

The study begins with a baseline vehicle life span of 15 years, 124,000 miles, and half of the vehicle’s total mileage accumulated in the first five years. It focuses on childhood-to-grave emissions and doesn’t consider replacing wearables like tires and wipers, but not the damage that can happen along the way. The electricity consumption itself is based on the WLTP operating cycle, adding losses; since the cycle tends to be too optimistic about efficiency versus real-world results, more energy may be needed in reality.

2025 Volvo EX30

2025 Volvo EX30

Various projections are also used not only of what the world’s energy mix will look like at that time but also of how the potential to extract more from recycled cars could be at that time.

The EX30 may also offer the lowest carbon footprint of any Volvo ever, but it’s impossible to match these numbers with the brand’s previous models, which carried a reputation for longevity. Let’s hope the EX30 lasts a long time.