1,000 kilometers behind the wheel of a Volvo EX30: 5 things I hate

I have been driving the Volvo EX30 for over a month now. During this period, I exceeded 1,000 kilometers of use, which is enough to allow me to give an opinion that gives more perspective than a test of a few days. I have already been able to share my experience about the efficiency of this 100% electric compact SUV, the cousin of Smart #1 and Zeekr X.

I love the Volvo EX30 and I’m very happy with my choice, despite the usual hesitation that generally accompanies the acquisition of a car – it’s not a small investment, even when leasing. However, some things bother me with the EX30: some can be fixed with remote updates, others will remain there indefinitely.

Here are five things I hate about Volvo cars.

Five things that annoy me about the Volvo EX30

Buttons on the steering wheel

Today there are two ways to provide buttons on the steering wheel: the classic design, with physical keys, and a more modern approach, with capacitive touch strips. The problem? Volvo does not seem to have chosen and offers a wonderful combination on the EX30: the physical keys are gathered under a single block that reminds of the touch area, and produces chaotic ergonomics: you do not know what you are pressing, if you are pressing well and. , above all, if the order is executed. Aesthetically, it is beautiful, but in use, it is hellish.

It hurts when you have to control the speed with the adaptive cruise control or Active Pilot Assist: you press it once to increase/decrease by 5 km/h and keep pressing it to increase/decrease by 1 km/h. One in three times it doesn’t work. Too bad, because the square shape of the steering wheel is perfect and even stores the commodos.

Proof that the problem is real, Volvo has already modified its copy for the next EX30 models (model year 2025), with better defined keys. Will this be enough? There is no small certainty.

Frunk is a joke

If you’ve ever wondered what a 7 liter trunk is, then you don’t want to know how small it is. Like most electric cars, the EX30 has a frunk – a trunk in front, located under the hood. Usually, this is practical. In the case of this SUV, it’s more than a bad joke. The room is too weak and badly arranged to fit anything. Cable? You will have to fold it, pressing as much as possible, praying that the frunk cover can close. The bag? Yes, as long as it’s not too big. I lamented: the EX30 frunk cannot be used, except in special cases.

Paying concern

There are two things to know when ordering the EX30 that I would like to know:

• As usual, the car only comes with a type 2 charging cable, to be used at the station (at home or in public);
• As an option, you can order a charging cable for the main socket, for €415.

This means that Volvo does not provide all charging cables, regardless of the situation. The manufacturer doesn’t give you an option either, although you may easily need a mains cable (if you have a fixed socket at home).

Another concern: said official industry cable is limited to 8A power, which limits charging to less than 1.9 kWh. However, a reinforced socket can provide much more, as long as you have the right cable. As for me, I ordered this example on Amazon (less than €200), allowing me to charge twice as fast. Conclusion: do not buy a cable from Volvo, which dares to sell a car with a 69 kWh battery and a cable that does not have the ability to quickly restore.

This is not the EX30’s only fault with charging. The car has a bug that limits the power to 6A by default and which forces you to increase it manually every time you plug in the car. No doubt this bug will be fixed with a future update. If you notice that your EX30 is charging slowly, check the charging settings and choose your own power (16A, in my case).

A car that is less intelligent

For my daily commutes, I prefer cruise control over cruise control. It is better due to the roads I travel through, through rural areas and less than 90 kilometers per hour. But the Volvo EX30 doesn’t have the ability to retain this parameter from one use to another, forcing me to go through the parameters every time to choose what to assign to the assisted driving control (turning the switch straight down when the car is in active mode) . I would like the car to remember the last mode selected. Same observation about the Pilot Assist parameter compared to the car in front of me: every time, it goes back a greater distance. I would like the car to remember my preferences, even when I change the limit.

Finally, I’d be happy if the EX30 recognized that I didn’t want lane-keeping assistance or, at the very least, let me turn it off more easily – like with the speed limit warning. These safety devices are now mandatory for new cars, which explains why it always restarts. This is also the case with the alert monitoring tool that can be annoying with its beeps.

Where is Apple CarPlay?

The interface of the EX30 is controlled by Google, the real reason behind Volvo’s 100% electric car. The infotainment, clean, clear and fast, is the best out of the Tesla. It offers access to large Google Maps, displayed on a 12.3-inch screen, and features developed over the years by the Mountain View company (applications through the Play Store, voice commands through the Assistant, YouTube disabled, a specific planner…). As the overlay is clean, it looks like a Pixel smartphone.

However, there is one feature that is missing: Apple CarPlay, which will eventually arrive in an update (when?). Having the option to use Apple’s interface instead of Google’s is useful for certain apps that aren’t there (for example Apple Music) or to control entertainment sources played from your iPhone.

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