I love my EX30 Ultra. Even if the range is not that impressive, it’s just a joy to drive it. And the design is beautiful. A great car for a couple or a single.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! I really enjoyed this car! 👊🏼 Apparently the new software is being rolled out so that charging issue will be gone 👍🏼 not sure about CarPlay yet though Thank you for watching!
Thank you! I really enjoyed this model! Apart from the charging issue I personally experienced (but according to viewers that’s fixed now) I would have no issue recommending this model. Tesla are a very good “first EV” for potential buyers mainly because of the charging infrastructure they personally have with their superchargers. However…this Volvo for the price is a very good package and was very comfortable. If I was buying an EV (which I hope to in the future) the EX30 is definitely up there. Not sure what changes on the next version but if it’s like other manufacturers, it might only be a facelift so minor stuff.
Thank you! Finally a EX30-review that don´t claim to be MY2025 when it obviously aint.🙌 Will soon get my 2025 EX30 (7 weeks away) as a service car for working at Volvo Cars. Will be intresting to see how it performs.
Nice comprehensive video. Performance mode engages the front and rear motors permanently, giving that immediate kick. You can almost feel the car rear up and be ready for action. Without the mode switched on, you still have access to the front motor (the car has a default rear motor bias) but it takes a split second for a clutch to engage and make it available. I have a twin motor Ultra and love it. As we are empty nesters, the size is perfect and the rear seats don’t get used that much.
Hi. I would like to ask you about 3 things: The regen braking - is it strong enough and does it stop the car completely ? Can you turn the ESC off ? Like if you wanted to have some fun in the winter. How many miles per KW can you make ? or 100km per KW ratio. Thanks.
@@adambenk0 Hi. 1) The regen braking will stop the car but coming from a Tesla I would say it is only 50% as powerful. You just need to lift off earlier at higher speeds and sometimes cover the brake - it's better at town speeds. I read on the forums that Volvo is looking to address this area so perhaps some sort of configurable setting will be provided in future. Of course, stronger regen will help overall consumption; 2) Yes, you can. There is an option in the car settings although I suspect that Volvo will still have safeguards in case you get silly. As the single motor is rear-wheel driven, you could probably play with the back end more on that version. The twin motor, which I have, is a little heavier and the front motor might kick in to prevent an accident; 3) It's summer here in the UK so I'm getting 28.5 kWh/100 mi or 17.7 kWh/100 km on a mixture of town and country roads with some hilly sections.
EX30 twin motor performance ultra Moss Yellow in Denmark - love it! The only thing lacking is built-in internet (internal struggle with Scandinavian supplier) so we have to manually connect our own EVERY TIME for maps to be useful. Otherwise, amazing car.
I read tons of comments from some theoretical EX30 owners about problems with the remote access key. Maybe I haven't had the car long enough, but so far it hasn't had a single error or malfunction. It's just knowing how to use the door handle. zero problems. What I do believe is that in a car without buttons, you will always miss the possibility of opening or closing remotely, or if you want to open the passenger door, or for it not to close when you leave the car leaving someone in the car. inside and when you try to leave the alarm starts to sound. That is to say, they are errors in concept, but not in operation. Hope that phone Key (when arrive) will solve many of this issues.
Yeah I have read that too…I didn’t have any problems with my experience. I just made sure the fob was in a faraday pouch while it was on the drive just in case!
Great review Nick. Glad you liked the EX30 . I've had an EX30 Ultra for 3 weeks now and I'm delighted with it. We've had MB in recent years and wanted to move to an EV but unfortunately the price of a MB EV was way out of our budget. The build quality of the EX30 is very solid and the trim feels very luxurious on the Ultra. The only gripe I have the Box Key that works when it thinks it will. Brian .Blandford
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! This is exactly one of the reasons why I started to cover other brands a year ago. Mercedes are great, but with the rising prices, switching to an EV could become make it slightly out of budget. So I want to be there for everyone if they do make the switch! 🙏
Thanks for another good review Nick. The first all EV (not hybrid) that looks tempting to me. Can you say how comfortable (or not) you found the seats please? Also, the glass roof looks good from inside but does it open at all? Ken
Thank you! Yeah I really enjoyed this one, and to make it even better apparently the software update is rolling out which will fix the charging too 🙏 Seats were very comfortable, compared to my daily car which is a Mercedes A180, which are quite firm. Glass roof is fixed, I couldn’t find a way to open it, but it is heavily tinted for UV protection etc
Since posting this, I’ve spoken to someone who owns one of these. Thinks it’s a great EV but told me he found that having all driver info and all controls (down to simple things like eg switching on wipers) totally frustrating and an absolute pain. Makes you think whether you could really live with it day-to-day.
Roaming around 6:20 out the rear window, I see some alternate Plan B forms of transportation (just in case the electric power grid should fail). The interior design could lead to a few hours of conversation. Tesla is Tesla, but wouldn't it make some sense to keep interiors similar to gasoline cars, and ease the consumer into EV, instead of going radical change there, too? The lack of instrument cluster, and the tablet in the middle, throws me off on the aesthetics. Same with all tablets. They should get the exterior design team in to design the interior.
My review of the EX30, I’ve had mine for a few weeks, 24 plate, plus model. Things I didn’t see in any reviews 1: the key, or lack of, the key is a plastic card, credit card size, or a black box ( size of a matchbox) both east to loss and hard to use. The card has to be put on the sensor on the drivers door then put on the wireless charger point so you can’t charge your phone, the black box should open the car when you get close, but not always and lock when walking away, but not always, it has no buttons, no sign of where the battery goes and no hole for a key ring. To open the boot, you need to unlock the car first. 2: air con, the heating/cooling system is an air pump, while better for battery life, unlike most EVs takes a while to get to temperature like an diesel car, the vents while looking good, are on or off, nothing in between, and very poor direction control, also the app can start the air con, but you can’t set the temperature, very odd 3: charging the battery, can’t set the battery to charge to anything other then 100% no good for long term use, and when the charge is done, you have to unlock the car to disconnect the plug 4: the Plus has a 51kw battery giving 160 miles on full charge, not great 5: the Plus doesn’t have park pilot or front camera for parking 6: default settings, the distance control sets to long and have to reset every time, the eye sensor that tells you off for looking at your mirrors and the screen with all the info on can be turned off but again every time My last EV a Cupra born V1 had all of the above and a 57kw battery range 250, and cost a lot less.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sadly for the key, I couldn’t test the part where it goes onto the phone, I did ask but Volvo didn’t allow me to put it on so I left that part out of my review. For the car I had, the fob just had to be somewhere in the car, so could be in my pocket.
@@npoleary I met you at everything electric in London after you chatted to Mercedes stand :D also the Volvo electric is a geely as they part own them :D
I have driven the EX30, and one thing they should add is more modes on the one-pedal driving so the engine braking is harder. I compared it to my Polestar 2 and it`s way to soft, so unless like i drive like an old nanny i have to step on the brake pedal all the time. And no one-pedal drive in reverse? Or did i miss something?
Great review. I've had my EX30 twin motor ultra for a few weeks now. Some niggles but overall all very good. Although easy to drive it does have some complex systems which are poorly explained in the Users Manual. The Auto-Brake is one such system and even the Volvo master technician at my Volvo dealership is uncertain how it should work, I'm still waiting for an answer from Volvo UK.
Thank you! And thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it! Ah awesome! I would assume it’ll activate after a few seconds of driving at speed. And if you approach an object at speed (say you accidentally took your eyes off the road for a second and someone in front slowed down) then the car will auto brake to prevent a crash. Think of it like a second set of eyes that one day could save a life. Probably something similar to this I’m guessing: www.media.volvocars.com/uk/en-gb/media/pressreleases/30668?preview=true&t=0b8aa4b9-c288-42bb-bbde-e7454fb9d93f
Sadly it’s not something I’ve looked at with reviews I cover. I appreciate how important it is but I’m always trying to make sure the everyday (non EV) person enjoys the videos too. I can look to include it in future reviews if you think it’ll be useful? Always open to feedback! I just want my videos to appeal to as many as possible with easy to understand language. Looking online, other places have reported anything from 4.3 to 3.6 - 3.7 mi/kWh. Sadly I have no context as to what time of year (temperature wise) those stats were quoted at though.
Really nice review for the EX30 Nick, i have always loved Volvo cars but never afford the one, but now i may be do (ofc that is if im switching to all electric), i do have one question thou, in all these newer cars that´s build on android systems and adding apple car play and such. But when its build on android, wouldn't it be really cool to customize everything in the car such as the speedometer, color, background, etc. Like downloading a theme for the car just as you do for your android phone. I know you've mentioned you can do something similar in some cars, but not quite like changing the buttons on the display to a nicer/cleaner layout so it's more pleasant for you as a driver. So why not ask them about it? You who have contacts might be able to check it out if you haven't already done so. I've been thinking about this for a few years now and thought I might as well ask you. What do you think about that?
Agree. They put a lot of stock into aesthetics, exterior and interior, but then glue a 20th century tablet onto the dash. Would you wear a $5,000 suit with a plastic name tag permanently fixed to the pocket? I don't get it.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 👊🏼 That would be good! Although it’s weird, it’s not Android Auto but it’s an automotive Android Operating system so they don’t have naturally every single feature copied across but customisation would be great! I agree! Sadly my only contacts are with my local dealership currently but maybe it might expand to Volvo themselves and then I can ask them that question!
@@npoleary ah thanks for the clarification about the android operating system, i didn´t know that. I personally love to customize all my electronics that I have (on android that is) just to get it the way I want it. So please do ask them when/if you get the chance, both to your dealership and then Volvo if they expand. Much appriciated Nick, and as usual, keep up the amazing work u do.
good evening Mr O'L iv been off U Tube as iv not been on my iMac PRO at all and I don't and never will use my phone because of battery damage that's why a lot of people don't have 100% battery life like me even my ULTRA watch Mk 1 still has 100% battery life and that just short of 2 years anyway the VOLVO EX 30 a word on the over head connectors as you don't no enough of the car ill tell you what they are for there for the Sunshade for panoramic roof comes in a pack Comfort and convenience package I was in the EX 30 back in may however the car that I was putting in a order for the ULTRA one of the other sales rep decided to have a 3 day Holliday in it I almost to told the sales man to go away however he came to pick me up as I don’t have a car yet So I was left with the rear wheel drive car once I got in it and used the one knob seat electric control I dropped the seat all the way down steering wheel out and up and seconds later I set up the door mirrors the rep sad you no the car I sad yes I’ve read the manual from end to end he sad your ready to drive I sad what no start button he sad once you sit down on the seat that starts the battery drive train I sad wonderful dadeoo let’s go Then I started to make a list of what I did not like in my head Steering wheel far to thin Heads up display none Power streeing and this can be adjusted on screen however still far to light, but there might be a very good reason for this I am pedantic when it comes to tires and over inflated tires and not having the right psi to my eye and I have a very good eye my conclusion was the tires were 10 psi over making the tire egg shape? It’s not just VOLVO I’ve noticed other cars also my fellow Scott has reviewed check out AUTO EV Don’t rely on the manual or the dealership on tires and the tyre pressures A Neighbour of mine had a brand-new Ford Fiesta she came to me and says can you look at my car? I think I’ve got something wrong with the brakes. I went out had a look at the tires and confirmed she had a total of 4 inches of grip. Between four tyres. She should’ve had 6 inches a corner equal in 24 inches of grip no wonder she could not stop at Car as there is almost no rubber touching the ground FORD and in the manual tyre pressures 67 psi I dropped the PSI to 24 a corner getting her 6 inches per tire of grip and this I know for sure stoped her from crashing the car or even been killed Taking my eyes off the road to check the speed as I had all systems turned off even the one pedal braking as I’ve never used it before and this was the first EV I’ve driven I’ve done my home work on practically every car that’s been reviewed EV wise this Car could definitely do with a heads up display Overinflated tires will affect the steering as I found it far too light in fact in corners the car seem to power steer tires were sliding I also noticed some dead ground in the steering wheel itself where the steering wheel is detached from the road. And no feeling whatsoever through my forearms. as the gentleman who does this review has commented on VOLVO safety I got an email from VOLVO after I’ve been in the car and asked me for my feedback and boy I didn’t hold back. They have taken on board what I have said They have to because I’m a racing driver I know what I’m talking about Tailgate boot release another problem imagine it it’s pouring down of rain when you’re standing there with two bags of shopping. How are you going to open the tailgate? I sad to the rep let me try something I put my foot under the back of the car to see if the tailgate would open and sadly it does not On the road turning left, I would like to see if any bike is there when indicators go on the rearview camera kicking in on the screen Another one of my safety features of which VOLVO completely left out sadly I had to use the door mirrors instead So where am I now? Would I buy one? The answer is no. Well maybe I’ll have another go when the new plates are out and the interest rate drops the reason my order did not go through was because I don’t have any credit. My credit report is low and yeah, I don’t have any debt. And I don’t have any credit cards and I can afford six of the top of the range EX 30 VOLVO. so explain to me how does that work? I am looking at a PADDLE SHIFT PUMA ST. i’ve been out in one had a two hour drive and it was phenomenal. The seating position is perfect. The steering wheel is perfect. The car is quite simply unbelievable. I’m looking at the new 2024 ST however the dealers don’t have one till September and that’s when all the deles are available with VOLVO and FORD so I’ll try again then I’ve written to the MP about this credet problem also no wonder Britain is in a mess as it will be getting quite a lot of VAT from myself to help support hospitals public transport etc Britain is a joke Take it easy big yen, and remember your arms are overstretched your seats, too far back get your seat forward remember I'm a X ADI I would fail you on the spot and not just me othere ADIs also
Hey Professor Jack! Nah that's okay! I'll still keep putting the videos out, that way you can binge them all in one go! 👀 Ah that's good, thanks for sharing your experience and tips for others! And yes tyre pressures are very important. Every time I've had tyres changed from the various cars I've had, they are ALWAYS overinflated...I don't know why mechanics don't look, it's literally printed somewhere on the car. Yeah Tailgate release is a good one, hadn't thought of that too much, but there again some models of this size of car don't have a remote release on the key but that would be good to have! You wouldn't be the first person to say that about the seat but I have longer than average legs so I have to have my seat further back or they'll be kinked and hit the bottom of the steering wheel, even with it pulled out. This then naturally means arms a little stretched out but, I guess I'm just special 😅
Hello Mr O'L I hope I haven’t offended you I wood not do that I’m 5”11 my self to fix this problem seat all the way down steering wheel out and lift up to max iv clearly upset you no thumbs up or love heart. I think im going to stop making comments what iv sad any ADI will say im done now no more comments from me after this
Was actually talking to my wife about getting one of these as a second car. Then realised it had no driver instruments or heads up display, so it's a no go from me. Such a shame.
Have you tried one? There are quite few manufacturers that have a centre screen now (and only a centre screen) Doesn’t bother me at all, very easy to adjust to. I will add though, a head up display would be good!
Whilst it’s fast, given you can lease a Renault Scenic long range for about £170 a month less than thus, and that has lots more range, better internal and equipment I’m struggling to want to go for one of these.
Sadly not driven that model but hey, all comes down to personal pretence! Going to an EV can mean cheaper running costs (as long as you get it from a cheaper source). So if one out there is cheaper per month and works, then yeah go for that one! 🤓 You’ll have to send me a photo if you do! 😎 Have you got a home charger sorted yet?
I deliver the volvo’s around 🇬🇧 and do poole quite a bit, the V60’s are defo coming back out as they have some of them in the docks compounds allready. They only stopped selling them a few months ago so that didn’t last long.
2 obvious issues with the lack of a driver's display and poor back seat space. Im sure they will iron out software bugs but reports of poor efficiency are more worrying. The Kia EV3 may be a better bet.
I’ve driven various manufacturers with screens in the “normal” place and the central screen. Either way for both variations, I don’t think they’d sway me one way or the other, I don’t mind either, although I do appreciate a head up display! Software update is apparently rolling out to according to a couple of people in the comments section which is good. 👍🏼
I think auto makers should be called out for not including driver specific displays. We shouldn’t make excuses for them and getting used to it. That sort of design is suitable for self driving cars but not those where a driver is controlling the car. That’s just not safe and auto makers take advantage of regulators not being fast enough to prevent cars like that hitting the market. We need to vote with our money and not buy cars like that.
It’s just their way of design, as I mentioned it’s not a negative. It doesn’t take your eyes off the road (in my experience) any longer than it behind the steering wheel. The top part of the screen doesn’t move at all which is good so it’s always in the same place
@@npoleary I’ll give one specific example that’ll show how bad that design is. Usually the multimedia system and the driver’s digital display are two separate systems. They may look as one but in fact they’re not. The multimedia system is basically your smartphone with similar software. And that kind of software is prone to bugs, crashes and hanging. The driver’s side is separate, has minimal functionality with sole purpose of displaying real time data coming from the car. That makes it very stable and robust. Now imagine that we ditch the stable system and add car data on top of already bloated software of the multimedia system. I wouldn’t want to be on the motorway when that central screen suddenly hangs or starts acting up. Moreover I wouldn’t want to be around another car experiencing issues like that.
The driver display section does actually run separately from the rest of the infotainment. As for placement, I much prefer having the speed to my left versus looking down. It also improves my view of the road by having the dash in front of me be lower.
There is a significant difference between glancing up and down for a driver's display and repeatedly twisting your neck to see a central infotainment screen. Especially if you then also have to interact with the screen for basics. It's a backwards step.
Yeah my daily car is white and my partner’s is as well. I would have preferred grey but the car I bought was available within days so much like a kid in a candy store I was like, now! 😅
I’m reviewing the Volvo EX30 as the model itself, one of the reasons why I don’t go through the specs, trims and packages. Just focussing on the car regardless of what package you go for.
@@npolearyyou are talking about the Harman Kardon sound system, wireless charger, scandinavian light themes and other features that don’t exist in the base model. And you do launch tests too. The experience of the base model is quite different. This review is showing a 50keur car and titled as a budget car review. When you review a budget car you should focus a bit more on the limited 210 miles range (a bit under 150 miles on highway). Why would budget aware consumer buy this when they can get a MG4 with 64 kW battery for cheaper and it has much more range? ID.2 is coming soon with 280 miles range, etc. How does the entry level version compare with usability (= range) to its rivals? I didn’t see any of this in the review. I saw introduction of all the max spec features and launch tests on twin engines. That’s nice for people who are buying the 50keur max spec car, but that doesn’t match the title of the video.
For budget buyers the problem with EX30 extended range is that the price becomes a few thousand over entry level Tesla Model 3, but the range isn’t as good. Especially on highway. EX30 a great car, but it’s definitely not the best bang for the buck.
The driving experience is out of the world. The software is awful and in some instances is simply dangerous. You break to stop, leave the breakes and set reverse. Push the accellerator and.. it drives forward! I almost overrun some kids passing by in the parking lot.
There has been a software update released or is coming very soon , sadly I don’t have access to it again as it’s gone back but they may have fixed or ironed out some bugs etc. the charging one is fixed from what I’ve heard which is great! 🙏
@@npoleary No. Many owners reported the same situation. Again, tha car itself is amazing! The lack of driver instrument panel and the control software is not safe. This car is only for experienced drivers.
You need to keep your foot on the brake for it to change gears. reading the manual would be a better use of your time instead of spreading disinformation on youtube :)
I had no problems with it apart from what I mentioned in the video. However I have heard there’s a new software update out now (or coming very soon) it has fixed the charging issue apparently and might address anything else you’re experiencing.
Kyle Conner just totally trashed this car after seeing it in Germany and said that if this is the direction that Volvo is going, it’ll lead to their demise (bad software and bad mechanics)
As EV’s become cheaper and cheaper it’s an interesting take on what manufacturers will “cut back on” to make them more affordable. Volkswagen have announced they’re producing an EV around £15k-£19k (can’t remember the exact price). But what comes to my mind is, what have they or are they going to cut back on to make it that price? It can’t be battery, or size too much, otherwise the range would be terrible and no one would buy it. So is it materials on the inside? Yes in this car there are more plastics, but it is still as tight as a drum and completely silent. Some may not like plastics and recycled materials but it is certainly one way the cost has come down so some EV’s like this one currently start with in the 30s now.
EV budget, not car budget in general There’s talk of some EV’s coming out soon for under £30k and as low as £16k to £18k from a couple of manufacturers over the coming years! I’ll have to change the title then! 😂
The charge bug was fixed in the 1.4 update :)
1.3*
Thanks Martin number one for watching and thank you so much for sharing 🙏
I’ll pin the comment if that’s okay with you so everyone can see it 🤓
I'm due to order a new car at the end of October. The EX30 is a very tempting car.
It was a very good car! I certainly wouldn’t say no 🙏
I love my EX30 Ultra. Even if the range is not that impressive, it’s just a joy to drive it. And the design is beautiful.
A great car for a couple or a single.
Yeah this car is still up there for me I’m so glad I checked it out. I would not hesitate to swap to it!
Thanks for another great review Nick 😎
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this car! 👊🏼
Apparently the new software is being rolled out so that charging issue will be gone 👍🏼 not sure about CarPlay yet though
Thank you for watching!
Excellent Video Nick 🎉I've ordered the Ex30 Extended range plus 🎉comes November 7th 🎉can't wait my 1st EV 🎉
Ah brilliant! 😎
Have you got a home charger yet? You planning on getting one? 🤓
We’ve had our EX30 twin motor performance Ultra for almost two months now. Absolutely love it.
It’s so fast! 🤓
EV acceleration still surprises me.
This one was on another level though 😅
And for the price!
And I’ve also heard the software updates are being rolled out to fix the charging too!
HEY kislux I have been watching you for years and im so proud of where you have made it! I love you so much! Also thanks for making my day
Good job Nick! Would you hold out for a 25MY if you had the choice?
Thank you! I really enjoyed this model!
Apart from the charging issue I personally experienced (but according to viewers that’s fixed now) I would have no issue recommending this model.
Tesla are a very good “first EV” for potential buyers mainly because of the charging infrastructure they personally have with their superchargers. However…this Volvo for the price is a very good package and was very comfortable.
If I was buying an EV (which I hope to in the future) the EX30 is definitely up there.
Not sure what changes on the next version but if it’s like other manufacturers, it might only be a facelift so minor stuff.
Ordered a EX30 Ultra SMER in white, breeze interior 😊 Told January 2025 hoping for sooner. Good review 😊
Ooo nice! Sounds brilliant! Thank you! 🙏
Got a charger at home sorted yet?
Thank you! Finally a EX30-review that don´t claim to be MY2025 when it obviously aint.🙌 Will soon get my 2025 EX30 (7 weeks away) as a service car for working at Volvo Cars. Will be intresting to see how it performs.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video! 🙏🙏
Oh awesome!
Another fantastic review Nick, but you still haven't converted myself from my CLA night edition 👍
Thank you! And thanks so much for watching! 🙏👍🏼
Nice comprehensive video. Performance mode engages the front and rear motors permanently, giving that immediate kick. You can almost feel the car rear up and be ready for action. Without the mode switched on, you still have access to the front motor (the car has a default rear motor bias) but it takes a split second for a clutch to engage and make it available. I have a twin motor Ultra and love it. As we are empty nesters, the size is perfect and the rear seats don’t get used that much.
Thank you! And thanks for sharing the extra info on the mode 👊🏼😎
Hi. I would like to ask you about 3 things:
The regen braking - is it strong enough and does it stop the car completely ?
Can you turn the ESC off ? Like if you wanted to have some fun in the winter.
How many miles per KW can you make ? or 100km per KW ratio.
Thanks.
@@adambenk0 Hi. 1) The regen braking will stop the car but coming from a Tesla I would say it is only 50% as powerful. You just need to lift off earlier at higher speeds and sometimes cover the brake - it's better at town speeds. I read on the forums that Volvo is looking to address this area so perhaps some sort of configurable setting will be provided in future. Of course, stronger regen will help overall consumption; 2) Yes, you can. There is an option in the car settings although I suspect that Volvo will still have safeguards in case you get silly. As the single motor is rear-wheel driven, you could probably play with the back end more on that version. The twin motor, which I have, is a little heavier and the front motor might kick in to prevent an accident; 3) It's summer here in the UK so I'm getting 28.5 kWh/100 mi or 17.7 kWh/100 km on a mixture of town and country roads with some hilly sections.
@@kevinliley1102 Thanks for the info :)
EX30 twin motor performance ultra Moss Yellow in Denmark - love it! The only thing lacking is built-in internet (internal struggle with Scandinavian supplier) so we have to manually connect our own EVERY TIME for maps to be useful. Otherwise, amazing car.
I read tons of comments from some theoretical EX30 owners about problems with the remote access key. Maybe I haven't had the car long enough, but so far it hasn't had a single error or malfunction. It's just knowing how to use the door handle. zero problems.
What I do believe is that in a car without buttons, you will always miss the possibility of opening or closing remotely, or if you want to open the passenger door, or for it not to close when you leave the car leaving someone in the car. inside and when you try to leave the alarm starts to sound. That is to say, they are errors in concept, but not in operation.
Hope that phone Key (when arrive) will solve many of this issues.
Yeah I have read that too…I didn’t have any problems with my experience. I just made sure the fob was in a faraday pouch while it was on the drive just in case!
Great review Nick. Glad you liked the EX30 . I've had an EX30 Ultra for 3 weeks now and I'm delighted with it. We've had MB in recent years and wanted to move to an EV but unfortunately the price of a MB EV was way out of our budget. The build quality of the EX30 is very solid and the trim feels very luxurious on the Ultra. The only gripe I have the Box Key that works when it thinks it will. Brian .Blandford
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is exactly one of the reasons why I started to cover other brands a year ago.
Mercedes are great, but with the rising prices, switching to an EV could become make it slightly out of budget. So I want to be there for everyone if they do make the switch! 🙏
Thanks for another good review Nick. The first all EV (not hybrid) that looks tempting to me. Can you say how comfortable (or not) you found the seats please? Also, the glass roof looks good from inside but does it open at all? Ken
Thank you! Yeah I really enjoyed this one, and to make it even better apparently the software update is rolling out which will fix the charging too 🙏
Seats were very comfortable, compared to my daily car which is a Mercedes A180, which are quite firm.
Glass roof is fixed, I couldn’t find a way to open it, but it is heavily tinted for UV protection etc
Since posting this, I’ve spoken to someone who owns one of these. Thinks it’s a great EV but told me he found that having all driver info and all controls (down to simple things like eg switching on wipers) totally frustrating and an absolute pain. Makes you think whether you could really live with it day-to-day.
Tesla are the same with their Model 3 and yes it’s different but you get used to it. It’s just different 🤓
No roof opn. Worry bout getting hot n car since no slide cover inside to deter heat. Designed n Sweden wher no heat but gets hot n US.
Roaming around 6:20 out the rear window, I see some alternate Plan B forms of transportation (just in case the electric power grid should fail). The interior design could lead to a few hours of conversation. Tesla is Tesla, but wouldn't it make some sense to keep interiors similar to gasoline cars, and ease the consumer into EV, instead of going radical change there, too? The lack of instrument cluster, and the tablet in the middle, throws me off on the aesthetics. Same with all tablets. They should get the exterior design team in to design the interior.
Haha 😅
I will get my mine in February 2025 Ultra Twin, hopefully most bugs and production fails are gone by then!
Software update was released or is being released as we speak so the charging issue has been sorted! Not sure on the Apple CarPlay bit yet
My review of the EX30, I’ve had mine for a few weeks, 24 plate, plus model.
Things I didn’t see in any reviews
1: the key, or lack of, the key is a plastic card, credit card size, or a black box ( size of a matchbox) both east to loss and hard to use. The card has to be put on the sensor on the drivers door then put on the wireless charger point so you can’t charge your phone, the black box should open the car when you get close, but not always and lock when walking away, but not always, it has no buttons, no sign of where the battery goes and no hole for a key ring. To open the boot, you need to unlock the car first.
2: air con, the heating/cooling system is an air pump, while better for battery life, unlike most EVs takes a while to get to temperature like an diesel car, the vents while looking good, are on or off, nothing in between, and very poor direction control, also the app can start the air con, but you can’t set the temperature, very odd
3: charging the battery, can’t set the battery to charge to anything other then 100% no good for long term use, and when the charge is done, you have to unlock the car to disconnect the plug
4: the Plus has a 51kw battery giving 160 miles on full charge, not great
5: the Plus doesn’t have park pilot or front camera for parking
6: default settings, the distance control sets to long and have to reset every time, the eye sensor that tells you off for looking at your mirrors and the screen with all the info on can be turned off but again every time
My last EV a Cupra born V1 had all of the above and a 57kw battery range 250, and cost a lot less.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Sadly for the key, I couldn’t test the part where it goes onto the phone, I did ask but Volvo didn’t allow me to put it on so I left that part out of my review. For the car I had, the fob just had to be somewhere in the car, so could be in my pocket.
The Austin Allegro steering wheel is back…
almost went for the EX30 Ultra over the EQA 300 but due to black painted roof backed out especially being on the coast
Fair enough! What colour did you go for on the EQA?
@@npoleary digital White Metalic
Ah like me! 😜
@@npoleary I met you at everything electric in London after you chatted to Mercedes stand :D also the Volvo electric is a geely as they part own them :D
I remember! 🤓👊🏼
Planning on going to a few more shows this year too! 😊
I have driven the EX30, and one thing they should add is more modes on the one-pedal driving so the engine braking is harder. I compared it to my Polestar 2 and it`s way to soft, so unless like i drive like an old nanny i have to step on the brake pedal all the time. And no one-pedal drive in reverse? Or did i miss something?
No I think that’s right, it wasn’t as harsh with its brake recuperation as some others that I’ve tested.
Great review. I've had my EX30 twin motor ultra for a few weeks now. Some niggles but overall all very good. Although easy to drive it does have some complex systems which are poorly explained in the Users Manual. The Auto-Brake is one such system and even the Volvo master technician at my Volvo dealership is uncertain how it should work, I'm still waiting for an answer from Volvo UK.
Thank you! And thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ah awesome! I would assume it’ll activate after a few seconds of driving at speed. And if you approach an object at speed (say you accidentally took your eyes off the road for a second and someone in front slowed down) then the car will auto brake to prevent a crash. Think of it like a second set of eyes that one day could save a life.
Probably something similar to this I’m guessing:
www.media.volvocars.com/uk/en-gb/media/pressreleases/30668?preview=true&t=0b8aa4b9-c288-42bb-bbde-e7454fb9d93f
The glove compartment actually was for storing your driving gloves in very early cars. Btw love this car, will have to go test drive one soon.
Haha 😛
Yeah it’s definitely worth a test drive! I was very impressed!
Nick, what is the miles per kWh figure?
Sadly it’s not something I’ve looked at with reviews I cover. I appreciate how important it is but I’m always trying to make sure the everyday (non EV) person enjoys the videos too.
I can look to include it in future reviews if you think it’ll be useful? Always open to feedback! I just want my videos to appeal to as many as possible with easy to understand language.
Looking online, other places have reported anything from 4.3 to 3.6 - 3.7 mi/kWh. Sadly I have no context as to what time of year (temperature wise) those stats were quoted at though.
Really nice review for the EX30 Nick, i have always loved Volvo cars but never afford the one, but now i may be do (ofc that is if im switching to all electric),
i do have one question thou, in all these newer cars that´s build on android systems and adding apple car play and such. But when its build on android, wouldn't it be really cool to customize everything in the car such as the speedometer, color, background, etc. Like downloading a theme for the car just as you do for your android phone.
I know you've mentioned you can do something similar in some cars, but not quite like changing the buttons on the display to a nicer/cleaner layout so it's more pleasant for you as a driver. So why not ask them about it? You who have contacts might be able to check it out if you haven't already done so. I've been thinking about this for a few years now and thought I might as well ask you. What do you think about that?
Agree. They put a lot of stock into aesthetics, exterior and interior, but then glue a 20th century tablet onto the dash. Would you wear a $5,000 suit with a plastic name tag permanently fixed to the pocket? I don't get it.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 👊🏼
That would be good! Although it’s weird, it’s not Android Auto but it’s an automotive Android Operating system so they don’t have naturally every single feature copied across but customisation would be great! I agree!
Sadly my only contacts are with my local dealership currently but maybe it might expand to Volvo themselves and then I can ask them that question!
@@npoleary ah thanks for the clarification about the android operating system, i didn´t know that.
I personally love to customize all my electronics that I have (on android that is) just to get it the way I want it.
So please do ask them when/if you get the chance, both to your dealership and then Volvo if they expand.
Much appriciated Nick, and as usual, keep up the amazing work u do.
good evening Mr O'L
iv been off U Tube as iv not been on my iMac PRO at all and I don't and never will use my phone because of battery damage that's why a lot of people don't have 100% battery life like me even my ULTRA watch Mk 1 still has 100% battery life and that just short of 2 years anyway
the VOLVO EX 30 a word on the over head connectors as you don't no enough of the car ill tell you what they are for there for the Sunshade for panoramic roof comes in a pack Comfort and convenience package
I was in the EX 30 back in may however the car that I was putting in a order for the ULTRA one of the other sales rep decided to have a 3 day Holliday in it I almost to told the sales man to go away however he came to pick me up as I don’t have a car yet
So I was left with the rear wheel drive car once I got in it and used the one knob seat electric control I dropped the seat all the way down steering wheel out and up and seconds later I set up the door mirrors the rep sad you no the car I sad yes I’ve read the manual from end to end he sad your ready to drive I sad what no start button he sad once you sit down on the seat that starts the battery drive train
I sad wonderful dadeoo let’s go
Then I started to make a list of what I did not like in my head
Steering wheel far to thin
Heads up display none
Power streeing and this can be adjusted on screen however still far to light, but there might be a very good reason for this I am pedantic when it comes to tires and over inflated tires and not having the right psi to my eye and I have a very good eye my conclusion was the tires were 10 psi over making the tire egg shape? It’s not just VOLVO I’ve noticed other cars also my fellow Scott has reviewed check out AUTO EV
Don’t rely on the manual or the dealership on tires and the tyre pressures
A Neighbour of mine had a brand-new Ford Fiesta she came to me and says can you look at my car? I think I’ve got something wrong with the brakes. I went out had a look at the tires and confirmed she had a total of 4 inches of grip. Between four tyres. She should’ve had 6 inches a corner equal in 24 inches of grip no wonder she could not stop at Car as there is almost no rubber touching the ground FORD and in the manual tyre pressures 67 psi I dropped the PSI to 24 a corner getting her 6 inches per tire of grip and this I know for sure stoped her from crashing the car or even been killed
Taking my eyes off the road to check the speed as I had all systems turned off even the one pedal braking as I’ve never used it before and this was the first EV I’ve driven I’ve done my home work on practically every car that’s been reviewed EV wise this Car could definitely do with a heads up display
Overinflated tires will affect the steering as I found it far too light in fact in corners the car seem to power steer tires were sliding I also noticed some dead ground in the steering wheel itself where the steering wheel is detached from the road. And no feeling whatsoever through my forearms.
as the gentleman who does this review has commented on VOLVO safety I got an email from VOLVO after I’ve been in the car and asked me for my feedback and boy I didn’t hold back.
They have taken on board what I have said They have to because I’m a racing driver I know what I’m talking about
Tailgate boot release another problem imagine it it’s pouring down of rain when you’re standing there with two bags of shopping. How are you going to open the tailgate? I sad to the rep let me try something I put my foot under the back of the car to see if the tailgate would open and sadly it does not
On the road turning left, I would like to see if any bike is there when indicators go on the rearview camera kicking in on the screen Another one of my safety features of which VOLVO completely left out sadly I had to use the door mirrors instead
So where am I now? Would I buy one? The answer is no. Well maybe I’ll have another go when the new plates are out and the interest rate drops the reason my order did not go through was because I don’t have any credit. My credit report is low and yeah, I don’t have any debt. And I don’t have any credit cards and I can afford six of the top of the range EX 30 VOLVO. so explain to me how does that work?
I am looking at a PADDLE SHIFT PUMA ST. i’ve been out in one had a two hour drive and it was phenomenal. The seating position is perfect. The steering wheel is perfect. The car is quite simply unbelievable. I’m looking at the new 2024 ST however the dealers don’t have one till September and that’s when all the deles are available with VOLVO and FORD so I’ll try again then
I’ve written to the MP about this credet problem also no wonder Britain is in a mess as it will be getting quite a lot of VAT from myself to help support hospitals public transport etc Britain is a joke
Take it easy big yen, and remember your arms are overstretched your seats, too far back get your seat forward remember I'm a X ADI I would fail you on the spot and not just me othere ADIs also
Hey Professor Jack! Nah that's okay! I'll still keep putting the videos out, that way you can binge them all in one go! 👀
Ah that's good, thanks for sharing your experience and tips for others! And yes tyre pressures are very important. Every time I've had tyres changed from the various cars I've had, they are ALWAYS overinflated...I don't know why mechanics don't look, it's literally printed somewhere on the car.
Yeah Tailgate release is a good one, hadn't thought of that too much, but there again some models of this size of car don't have a remote release on the key but that would be good to have!
You wouldn't be the first person to say that about the seat but I have longer than average legs so I have to have my seat further back or they'll be kinked and hit the bottom of the steering wheel, even with it pulled out. This then naturally means arms a little stretched out but, I guess I'm just special 😅
Hello Mr O'L I hope I haven’t offended you I wood not do that I’m 5”11 my self to fix this problem seat all the way down steering wheel out and lift up to max iv clearly upset you no thumbs up or love heart. I think im going to stop making comments what iv sad any ADI will say im done now no more comments from me after this
Not at all 🤓
No I love replying to comments Professor Jack! 👍🏼 keep em coming!
Everyone always comments about my legs though and my driving position 😅
Was actually talking to my wife about getting one of these as a second car. Then realised it had no driver instruments or heads up display, so it's a no go from me. Such a shame.
Have you tried one? There are quite few manufacturers that have a centre screen now (and only a centre screen)
Doesn’t bother me at all, very easy to adjust to. I will add though, a head up display would be good!
@@npoleary I haven't, but I've had heads up displays in my last 3 cars and wouldn't buy one without it. It's an inexcusable omission in my opinion.
Yeah head up displays are pretty cool! Well there are several EV’s out there that do have HUD’s 🤓 so I’m sure you’ll find one!
Am very torn between this and the Hyundai Ioniq 5
It seems Zeekr X is coming to UK in 2025. One more choice
Whilst it’s fast, given you can lease a Renault Scenic long range for about £170 a month less than thus, and that has lots more range, better internal and equipment I’m struggling to want to go for one of these.
Sadly not driven that model but hey, all comes down to personal pretence! Going to an EV can mean cheaper running costs (as long as you get it from a cheaper source). So if one out there is cheaper per month and works, then yeah go for that one! 🤓
You’ll have to send me a photo if you do! 😎
Have you got a home charger sorted yet?
@@npoleary yes I’ve owned Teslas for 6 years, I do the odd video on them. If you want to come and review it when I’ve got it be my guest.
Oh awesome! Thank you! Very nice! Which one have you got Model 3 or Model X?
@@npoleary I had an S then a 3 RWD LFP.
Nice! 👌🏼
Personally i dont like the front of the new ex30 but the back is super nice (i own a V90 2020)
Ah nice!
I’ve heard they’re bringing back estates so… 👀
I might check them out in the future!
I deliver the volvo’s around 🇬🇧 and do poole quite a bit, the V60’s are defo coming back out as they have some of them in the docks compounds allready.
They only stopped selling them a few months ago so that didn’t last long.
2 obvious issues with the lack of a driver's display and poor back seat space.
Im sure they will iron out software bugs but reports of poor efficiency are more worrying.
The Kia EV3 may be a better bet.
I’ve driven various manufacturers with screens in the “normal” place and the central screen. Either way for both variations, I don’t think they’d sway me one way or the other, I don’t mind either, although I do appreciate a head up display!
Software update is apparently rolling out to according to a couple of people in the comments section which is good. 👍🏼
Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
I think auto makers should be called out for not including driver specific displays. We shouldn’t make excuses for them and getting used to it. That sort of design is suitable for self driving cars but not those where a driver is controlling the car. That’s just not safe and auto makers take advantage of regulators not being fast enough to prevent cars like that hitting the market. We need to vote with our money and not buy cars like that.
It’s just their way of design, as I mentioned it’s not a negative. It doesn’t take your eyes off the road (in my experience) any longer than it behind the steering wheel.
The top part of the screen doesn’t move at all which is good so it’s always in the same place
@@npoleary I’ll give one specific example that’ll show how bad that design is. Usually the multimedia system and the driver’s digital display are two separate systems. They may look as one but in fact they’re not. The multimedia system is basically your smartphone with similar software. And that kind of software is prone to bugs, crashes and hanging. The driver’s side is separate, has minimal functionality with sole purpose of displaying real time data coming from the car. That makes it very stable and robust. Now imagine that we ditch the stable system and add car data on top of already bloated software of the multimedia system. I wouldn’t want to be on the motorway when that central screen suddenly hangs or starts acting up. Moreover I wouldn’t want to be around another car experiencing issues like that.
I would hope that manufacturers have thought of that so that there are systems as a back up just in case though!
The driver display section does actually run separately from the rest of the infotainment. As for placement, I much prefer having the speed to my left versus looking down. It also improves my view of the road by having the dash in front of me be lower.
There is a significant difference between glancing up and down for a driver's display and repeatedly twisting your neck to see a central infotainment screen. Especially if you then also have to interact with the screen for basics.
It's a backwards step.
White car 😅 not my cup of tea definitely Grey or Black 🎉. This EV looks ugly and PRC is the concern. Thank you Nick great review 👍🏻
Yeah my daily car is white and my partner’s is as well. I would have preferred grey but the car I bought was available within days so much like a kid in a candy store I was like, now! 😅
Glad you enjoyed the video! 😎
Video title says ”budget EV”. The reviewed car costs 50000€. I wouldn’t call that budget. Most people can’t afford a 50000€ car.
I’m reviewing the Volvo EX30 as the model itself, one of the reasons why I don’t go through the specs, trims and packages. Just focussing on the car regardless of what package you go for.
@@npolearyyou are talking about the Harman Kardon sound system, wireless charger, scandinavian light themes and other features that don’t exist in the base model. And you do launch tests too. The experience of the base model is quite different. This review is showing a 50keur car and titled as a budget car review.
When you review a budget car you should focus a bit more on the limited 210 miles range (a bit under 150 miles on highway). Why would budget aware consumer buy this when they can get a MG4 with 64 kW battery for cheaper and it has much more range? ID.2 is coming soon with 280 miles range, etc. How does the entry level version compare with usability (= range) to its rivals? I didn’t see any of this in the review. I saw introduction of all the max spec features and launch tests on twin engines. That’s nice for people who are buying the 50keur max spec car, but that doesn’t match the title of the video.
For budget buyers the problem with EX30 extended range is that the price becomes a few thousand over entry level Tesla Model 3, but the range isn’t as good. Especially on highway. EX30 a great car, but it’s definitely not the best bang for the buck.
The driving experience is out of the world. The software is awful and in some instances is simply dangerous. You break to stop, leave the breakes and set reverse. Push the accellerator and.. it drives forward! I almost overrun some kids passing by in the parking lot.
There has been a software update released or is coming very soon , sadly I don’t have access to it again as it’s gone back but they may have fixed or ironed out some bugs etc. the charging one is fixed from what I’ve heard which is great! 🙏
@@npoleary The new 1.4 OTA stuck at 91%. This bug was fixed but introduced new: Waze navigation works only in Park mode.....(:.
Oh how strange :(
Is there a way to restart it?
@@npoleary No. Many owners reported the same situation. Again, tha car itself is amazing! The lack of driver instrument panel and the control software is not safe. This car is only for experienced drivers.
You need to keep your foot on the brake for it to change gears. reading the manual would be a better use of your time instead of spreading disinformation on youtube :)
The car is fine but the software is shite. I've had mine for three months and I wish I'd bought something else.
I had no problems with it apart from what I mentioned in the video. However I have heard there’s a new software update out now (or coming very soon) it has fixed the charging issue apparently and might address anything else you’re experiencing.
Kyle Conner just totally trashed this car after seeing it in Germany and said that if this is the direction that Volvo is going, it’ll lead to their demise (bad software and bad mechanics)
As EV’s become cheaper and cheaper it’s an interesting take on what manufacturers will “cut back on” to make them more affordable.
Volkswagen have announced they’re producing an EV around £15k-£19k (can’t remember the exact price). But what comes to my mind is, what have they or are they going to cut back on to make it that price? It can’t be battery, or size too much, otherwise the range would be terrible and no one would buy it. So is it materials on the inside?
Yes in this car there are more plastics, but it is still as tight as a drum and completely silent. Some may not like plastics and recycled materials but it is certainly one way the cost has come down so some EV’s like this one currently start with in the 30s now.
Budget... lol...
EV budget, not car budget in general
There’s talk of some EV’s coming out soon for under £30k and as low as £16k to £18k from a couple of manufacturers over the coming years! I’ll have to change the title then! 😂
so ugly inside. the dash board, the lack of legroom in the back. urgh.
I love kislux that on the butterfly bag it says auguri / tanti auguri which means happy birthday