• The Volvo EX30 made big promises when it was announced a couple of years ago.
• Edmunds bought one and now, a year later, the verdict is in.
• From an ultra-sensitive driver monitoring system to the key fob that works only half the time, the EX30 has been “a very frustrating car to live with.”

The Volvo EX30 was supposed to be the next great small, powerful, and affordable EV in America. With an estimated starting price of around $35,000, it had a lot going for it—at least on paper.

But that price never materialized, and the first units shipped to the U.S. ended up costing a lot more. Edmunds bought one of those cars, a 2025 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance, for $47,895. One year and 8,000 miles later, the publication is not mincing words: “It’s been rough,” the staff unanimously said about the Swedish small EV, pointing to glitchy software, insufficient driving range, lackluster charging speeds, and an infuriating key fob.

But first, let’s start with a few good things. The EX30 is a properly small car—21 inches shorter than the Tesla Model Y—and it has its advantages. It can be parked pretty much everywhere, and yet it still has enough interior space for four adults.

The seats are really comfortable, the cabin design is creative, and it’s properly quick, with Edmunds clocking the EV’s zero-to-60 miles per hour sprint at just 3.6 seconds—the same as a brand-new Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

However, the good stuff ends here. The biggest gripe with the car’s driving experience is linked to the overly sensitive driver monitoring system, which immediately beeps to alarm the driver when they take their eyes off the road. That may come in handy when there’s an immediate danger, but it’s also extremely annoying because Volvo forces the driver to take their eyes off the road to operate the centrally-mounted infotainment touchscreen that controls all of the settings.

The software experience has been lackluster, with Apple CarPlay sometimes failing to launch. What’s more, there are only two window switches, with an additional “Rear” button that needs to be pressed to operate the rear windows, but the capacitive button itself doesn’t work all the time.

Then, there’s the key, which isn’t actually a key. It doesn’t have any buttons and instead only locks and unlocks the car based on proximity. The problem here, as explained by Edmunds’ staff, is that it only works half of the time. Sometimes, it even locks the car when you try to open the door, which can be extremely frustrating. That said, there is a digital key that fixes all of these issues, but you have to use your smartphone.

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Source: Patrick George

The 2025 model year in Edmunds’ fleet doesn’t have true one-pedal driving, but later models come with the feature baked in.

It’s worth noting that we experienced some of these issues when driving a similar 2025 EX30 last year. Our former editor-in-chief even considered buying a new EX30, but ultimately went for a Hyundai Ioniq 5 because of the issues.

Range-wise, this particular car has 250 miles of EPA-rated range, while the Edmunds range test puts it at 256 miles. If highways are used predominantly, then the range drops to around 200 miles, which is not exactly good for road-tripping, seeing how charging speeds are also not the best, with a peak of around 150 kilowatts and a claimed 10-to-80% time of 26 minutes.

With all this in mind, Edmunds points out that the EX30 has been a very reliable car over the past 12 months. It never broke down, and it never left anyone stranded. Volvo also pushed several software updates that vastly improved the vehicle compared to when it was new. Initially, it was a mess of a car that felt unfinished—it should have been shipped last year with all the features that it has now.

The EX30 has been discontinued in the United States after just two years on sale, so all of these niggles won’t affect any new owners, but those looking for a used one should take all of this into consideration.

The only significant way my situation differs from the typical EX30 buyer’s is that I’m not an empty-nester – my wife and I have an 11-year-old daughter in tow. As a result, the EX30’s introduction to Pringle family life has been a diet of short suburban journeys, mainly to and from school, football training and matches, and the shops.

That means I haven’t tested the car’s range at all, although it was a deliberate choice to pick the Extended Range model – as most EX30 buyers do. This can officially manage 296 miles per charge, and while that hasn’t been a concern so far, a welcome side-effect is that I’ve only had to charge the car once in its first three weeks with me.

Tougher tests will come, but for now the EX30 is settling perfectly into its role. I’m enjoying the smooth and responsive electric powertrain around town, as well as the excellent refinement – in terms of both the lack of noise inside the car, and the way the suspension deals with poor road surfaces.

The Volvo is practical enough for our three-person family, and the tech works well, too. I particularly like the built-in Google Maps navigation, Apple CarPlay has worked faultlessly for streaming music, and I easily linked the car to the Volvo smartphone app.

My only complaints so far are that – as in so many cars these days – some of the safety-assist features are a little over-eager (although I’ve programmed a button on the steering wheel to turn off the speed alert with a single press). I’m going to need a while to get to grips with the complexities of the infotainment system, too. Otherwise, I’ve certainly come up trumps with this Volvo.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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