New car review: Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range

It’s the longest I have spent in the company of an electric car. Prior to this week, my experience extended to little more than the UK launch of the Renault Fluence Z.E Dynamique in 2012, a return trip to Amsterdam in a Tesla Model S, and the odd brief drive in a new EV.

Indeed, I had a quick go in a Volvo EX30 at a recent driving day at the Haynes Motor Museum, where I drove and thoroughly enjoyed the new Suzuki Swift. But I really wanted to know more about the EX30, as 30 minutes behind the wheel didn’t seem long enough. A week would be better.

First, a little background. Back in June, I was invited to Gothenburg for a tour of the Volvo factory and a look at the new World of Volvo exhibition centre. Being granted access to Volvo’s inner sanctum felt a little like being invited into Willy Wonka’s factory, only without the rivers of chocolate milk and golden geese.

That said, it always felt like we were in danger of being whisked away by an Oompa Loompa for asking the wrong questions. And by ‘wrong’ questions, l mean anything related to the EX30’s rather controversial infotainment system. In a middling three-star review, Autocar has labelled the infotainment and instrumentation screen ‘too distracting to use’, adding that Volvo ‘doesn’t have the right to do things badly’.

If only to highlight the polarising opinions, Carwow has named the EX30 its 2024 car of the year, giving it 10 out of 10, although it does concede that the ‘touchscreen can be frustrating’.

The EX30 isn’t Volvo’s first electric car. That honour belongs to the Elbil of 1976, which featured a dozen six-volt batteries for a range of 50km or two hours of driving. The first production model was an electric version of the XC40, but the EX30 is Volvo’s first EV without a petrol or diesel equivalent. It’s currently produced in China, although Volvo will start building the EX30 in its Ghent plant from 2025.

There are currently three models to choose from: Single Motor, Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance. All three are available in Plus trim, although the latter two can be ordered in high-spec Ultra trim. Prices range from around £34,000 to £44,500, so in electric car terms, it’s relatively affordable. For context, Vauxhall Corsa Electric prices range from £27,000 to £38,500.

Getting the basics out of the way, the EX30 Single Motor offers an official 209 miles of range from a fully charged 51kWh battery, the Single Motor Extended Range can travel 295 miles before needing to visit a charging point, while the Twin Motor Performance offers 279 miles of range. Both the Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance have a 69kWh battery.

Some might argue that a slight reduction in range is a small price to pay for the Twin Motor Performance’s, er… performance, as the 422bhp version can hit 60mph in a ridiculous 3.4 seconds. That’s faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera, if 0-60mph times float your boat. On the evidence of my week with the EX30, the Single Motor Extended Range model is quick enough, with a 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds.

In Single Motor guise, the battery can be charged in nine hours when using a 7.4kW charger or 26 minutes (from 10% to 80%) when using a 175kW rapid charger. These times increase to 11 hours and 28 minutes respectively if you opt for the Single Motor Extended Range or Twin Motor Performance models.

The Twin Motor Performance model would appear to be the range sweet spot, certainly if you’re looking for the best blend of performance, price and range. As for the trim level, the Plus offers a generous level of equipment as standard, while Ultra adds 20-inch alloys, dark tinted windows, fixed panoramic sunroof, electric driver and passenger seat, memory function for the door mirrors, 360-degree camera, Park Pilot Assist and a 22kW 3-phase on-board charger, rather than the 11kW charger in the Plus model.

So far, this is stuff you may have read elsewhere on the internet, but what does Petrolblog think about the Volvo EX30? Is it about to delete its Shell smartphone app and say goodbye to V-Power? Not quite, but the EX30 is a thoroughly good electric car.

Is the Volvo EX30's infotainment system that bad?

We have to start with the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which dominates the interior and is used to control almost all of the primary functions. Want to open the glovebox? You have to press a button on the screen. Turn on the rear fog lights? There’s a button for that. Switch on the headlights? Yep, the button is on the touchscreen.

But that’s just the start of it. Only this morning, just before the EX30 was collected, I was driving in the rain, in conditions that demanded the use of headlights. The automatic setting didn’t switch them on, so I had to use the touchscreen. One press to access the menu, another to access the lighting section, then another to switch on the headlights. After that, there’s another button, this time on the steering wheel, to confirm that, yes, I really do want to switch on the headlights. That’s not good – and it isn’t progress.

It’s good that the climate control settings are always available at the bottom of the screen, but headlights need to be accessible within one touch. I suspect that Volvo will change things via an over-the-air software update, but for now, the system is, at best, clunky.

Aside from that, I had few problems with the display. Some people have made a big song and dance about the speed being displayed in the top corner of the screen, rather than in front of the driver, but that was never an issue for me. It’s visible out of the corner of your eye and I got used to it within the first couple of miles. I see no need to introduce a head-up display.

I’m probably cutting Volvo too much slack when I say that the touchscreen’s shortcomings can be solved with some software updates, but I got on really well with the system. The Google-based navigation and voice control are excellent, the display is crisp and clear, and the screen has allowed Volvo to create a minimalist and very Swedish interior. And it’s very Swedish, right down to the selection of ambient lighting themes, which include Midsummer, Northern Lights and Archipelago.

Is the Volvo EX30's interior too minimalist?

The minimalist approach even extends to the speakers (or lack therefore), with the audio transmitted through a Harman Kardon dashboard soundbar. It’s not just there for the radio, navigation or your favourite streaming app; the soundbar is also used for sound effects and warning chimes. Indicate left and the sound comes out of the left of the speaker; indicate right and it comes out of the right. The sound of the indicators is based on a breaking twig and it’s rather pleasant. No, really, it is.

Other neat touches include the slide-out cupholders located below the centre console. Press the panel once, and the cupholders extend far enough for two drinks. Press it again, and the cupholders retract for one drink. You can also slide back the circular cutouts if you want to carry something different. On the floor below the cupholders is a Tesla-style storage tray with a pair of Type C USB sockets, while in front of that is a wireless phone charger.

There are also two Type C sockets in the back, but that’s as far as the glamour goes for rear-seat passengers. Aside from a pair of electric window switches, located in the middle to save money, and a slide-out storage tray, it’s a little too minimalist. There isn’t even a centre armrest in the back, which would have been handy for a pair of cupholders. The legroom is also too minimalist, but at least you can occupy your mind by looking up through the panoramic sunroof, assuming the driver has opted for the Ultra trim.

The tight rear space and small boot (318 litres with the back seats in use), are two items for the list of negatives. The boot does have a ‘false floor’ for storing the Type 2 charging cable, but you might be better off storing that in the EX30’s bijou ‘frunk’. Alternatively, you can fold down the rear seats to extend the luggage capacity to 904 litres, but make sure you’ve removed your children.

How was the charging experience?

I deliberately avoided doing anything out of the ordinary during my week with the EX30, because I wanted to see what it was like in the real world. Volvo asked that I handed it back with 40-50% charge, but aside from that I was free to do what I liked. It arrived with 85% charge, with the delivery driver taking advantage of the Gridserve rapid chargers at the Exeter Services on the M5. 

If there’s one thing that fills me with dread, it’s the thought of using the public charging network. I’m sure it’s fine when the chargers are working and there are no queues, but I’ve read many horror stories of broken charging points and demand outstripping supply at peak times. I needn’t have worried.

As a novice, I downloaded the Zapmap app and registered for a seven-day free trial, remembering to cancel the subscription before the £29.99 annual payment. The app provides details of every charging point in the UK, including pricing, charging company, restrictions and availability. There’s also a handy route planner to locate charging points on a longer journey.

With a little preplanning, I downloaded the Pod Point app for use in my local Tesco and the ScottishPower app for when I charged up in my nearest town. I also downloaded the Volvo Cars and EX30 apps. All very much ‘Janet and John’ stuff for experienced electric car owners, but for me it was all very new.

I won’t bore you with the details, but aside from not knowing which charger was which in town (I now understand the importance of naming or labelling charging points), I found the entire process very straightforward. The Tesco 7kW charging point was slower than I expected (I paid a couple of quid to add a few miles of range), but the ScottishPower charger added 32.26kWh at 65p per kWh, giving a total cost of £20.97. It took 90 minutes.

I’m sure I’d experience a few issues on a longer journey and/or over the course of a few months, but on the evidence of my seven days with an electric car, I have no complaints.

Is the Volvo EX30 terrible to drive?

This was the biggest surprise. I expected an electric car to feel heavy, cumbersome and devoid of fun. On the contrary, the EX30 feels agile and fairly light, even with the weighty battery pack to lug around. Its strongest point is the straight-line pace, but that novelty will soon wear off, leaving you with an electric car that’s actually fun to drive.

The steering is nicely weighted, if lacking in feel, and the car will corner flat, even if you carry too much speed into a bend. There’s a general feeling of being detached from the road, as if there’s a cushion of air separating the car from the asphalt, but on the plus side the EX30 does a great job of cushioning you from poor road surfaces. It doesn’t even get out of shape over potholes or bumps in the road.

The one-pedal function is excellent, slowing the car to a stop when you lift-off. You could find that the brake pedal becomes redundant if you spend most of your time in towns and cities. It’s not as quiet as you might think – there’s a surprising amount of low-speed tyre noise and high-speed wind noise – but it’s quiet enough for you to tell whether you’ve been passed by a car with a diesel or petrol engine.

What the EX30 lacks is character and soul. It’s odd, because even in Single Motor Extended Range guise, it will accelerate as fast as a sports car, but it doesn’t feel exciting. Without the engine noise and opportunity to accelerate through the gears, it just feels… flat.

But not charmless. Volvo has managed to create an electric car that feels more special than its rivals. The styling is superb and uniquely Volvo. The interior is clever and loaded with neat details. And the driving experience is far more pleasant than I expected. It’s also not as ubiquitous as a Tesla Model 3, although Volvo will want to change that.

Volvo EX30 conclusions

As a car enthusiast, especially one with a thing for old (and rubbish) cars, I’m supposed to dislike electric cars. I should be pre-wired to approach the Volvo EX30 with cynicism. If social media is anything to go by, you either love or hate electric cars – balance and rationality aren’t permitted.

But on the basis of my week with the Volvo EX30, I reckon I could find room in my life for an electric car. Actually, scrub that, because I think it would have to be an EX30. Sure, it isn’t perfect, but neither was ‘my’ Citroën C4 Cactus and I was able to live with its idiosyncrasies and imperfections. And take it from me, the infotainment system in the Cactus was a lot worse. And the driving position was terrible. And the back windows didn’t open properly. Etc, etc.

Right now, the Volvo EX30 feels like a good film. The sort of film you wake up thinking about the next day. The EX30 has been gone six hours and I’m still thinking about it. Thirty minutes behind the wheel wasn’t enough. Neither, it turns out, is a week. It might be time to check out the leasing deals…

Yes, I liked it that much.

All photos except the main image are © Volvo because mine are rubbish and you deserve better.