Volvo gives entry electric SUV cyclist-saving solution

Volvo Cars entry electric SUV will be the Swedish automaker's first model to offer a safety solution aimed at preventing deadly accidents with cyclists.

The EX30, which will have its world debut June 7, will give a door opening alert, warning people inside the car via visual and audio cues if they are about to open the door in front of a passing cyclist or other traffic user.

The system will be part of the EX30's standard safety equipment.

So-called dooring accidents account for up to one-fifth of all reported bike accidents in some cities. According to Cycling UK, 60 people on average are killed or seriously injured by car doors each year in the U.K. alone.

Volvo will also be the second member of the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to offer the technology.

The first was the Smart #1, which is the first car from the brand's new status as an electric-only joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz. The system is also standard equipment in the small crossover.

The EX30 and Smart #1 are both underpinned by the sustainable experience architecture (SEA), which is also used on the Zeekr 001 and 009 and Baidu Jidu.

Other vehicles with technology to avoid collisions with cyclists include the Audi A8 luxury sedan, Hyundai Santa Fe large SUV and Skoda Octavia compact.

'Really important car'

Volvo CEO Jim Rowan told Automotive News Europe last November that the EX30 will be a “big part” of achieving the company's 2025 targets of boosting global sales 95 percent compared with last year to 1.2 million, with half of those models being full electric.

“It's a really important car for us for so many different reasons,” he said, adding that the target buyer is a “Gen Z person who is 18, 19 years old and coming into the car market for the first time” who wants a good price but also still wants top safety equipment.

To meet that goal Volvo said it designed the EX30 to be “city-safe with technology specifically aimed at protecting people in busy urban environments.”

“With the Volvo EX30 we are taking city safety to the next level, creating a small SUV that is your perfect companion for a comfortable driving experience, while it looks after you and other people on the busy streets of modern cities,” Asa Haglund, who heads Volvo's safety center, said in a release.

The EX30's other standard safety features include a driver alert system with a sensor behind the steering wheel that detects eye and face movements about 13 times per second.

The system looks for signs that the driver is distracted, drowsy or otherwise inattentive and provides a warning.