Volvo EX30 long-term test: report 7

The car Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range Plus Run by Allan Muir, managing editor

Why we’re running it To see whether this small electric SUV can be provide benefits over larger, often pricier alternatives in everyday use

Needs to Be comfortable and easy to live with, nippy around town, reasonably practical and efficient enough to deliver a respectable range for longer journeys

Mileage 2515 List price £39,860 Best price £39,860 Price as tested £40,660 Official range 296 miles Test range 232 miles 

16 March 2026 – Believe it when you key it

An over-the-air software update for my Volvo EX30 has introduced a ‘digital key’ that allows me to use my Samsung Android phone to access and operate the car. The addition of this feature – previously available only to owners with Apple iPhones – is good news because, as I’ve mentioned in previous reports, the keyless entry system is one of the very few things that I’m not thrilled about with my EX30.

With the digital key installed, I can now lock or unlock my car by holding my phone up against the NFC reader on the middle door pillar on the driver’s side. This is proving more convenient than using the fiddly, buttonless keyfob, which had to be positioned with accuracy against the reader for it to work. In fact, I can leave the keyfob at home if I prefer, because I no longer need it for the car to run as normal. I do need to sit my phone on the wireless charging pad for the car to continue detecting the digital key, though.

Alternatively, I can access my car remotely via the digital key (if it’s in range) or the Volvo app that I also used to pre-condition the car’s interior during the winter. This isn’t a bad option, because I can unlock the doors before leaving the house. However, I have to get to the car reasonably swiftly, otherwise it will relock itself. And unlocking the doors while I’m walking isn’t particularly easy if I’m juggling a bag and a coat as well.

I’d hoped the software update would improve the responsiveness of the automatic ‘proximity lock’ system, which has been frustratingly slow to unlock the doors (hence the need to use the NFC reader). An EX30-owning reader told me he’d seen a marked reduction in the time it took for his range-topping Twin Motor Ultra model to unlock following the update. However, I can’t say the same for my mid-range Plus example; the auto-unlocking is as lethargic as ever. 

So, the software update wasn’t quite as helpful as I’d hoped, but at least the digital key is an improvement on what I had before. It’s still not as convenient as pressing a button on a keyfob, but perhaps the pay-off is tighter security? Our recent feature on the UK’s most stolen cars in 2025 suggested that digital keys can help to make cars less susceptible to keyless theft methods.

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