Volvo EX30 long-term test
The EX30 is the most affordable way into a new electric Volvo – but what's this small SUV like to live with? We're running one to find out...
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 1445 List price £39,860 Best price £38,360 Price as tested £40,660 Official range 296 miles Test range 232 miles
5 January 2026 – Brake dancing
Given the choice, I like strong regenerative braking in electric vehicles (EVs) – or at least a setting that can bring the car to a brisk halt without the need to apply the regular brakes. This isn’t because I think it’ll dramatically improve the car’s range – although any energy recovered under deceleration must help, I guess. It’s more because the ability to control the car’s speed using just the accelerator pedal usually makes for extra-smooth progress, especially around town, and that’s important to me.
My Volvo EX30 packages its regenerative braking settings under the promising heading of ‘One Pedal Drive’ on the infotainment touchscreen, with a choice of High, Low or Off. With no paddles behind the steering wheel to easily adjust the level, the first thing I did was to select High with the intention of never touching it again.
For once, though, this isn’t my preferred setting. Partly that’s because it isn’t a true one-pedal mode; the regen switches off at 5mph and the car coasts, still requiring me to press the brake pedal to come to a stop. But more of an issue is that there’s a brief delay between lifting off and the regen kicking in – enough to slightly upset the car’s usual smooth progress.
Fortunately, there’s no sign of any interruption in Low. Of course, the braking effect is milder than in High, but it’s still strong enough to be useful for a good portion of my daily driving at speeds above 5mph. Overall, the EX30 feels smoother and more natural to drive in this setting, so it has become the default.
Even so, the EX30 isn’t the easiest of EVs to bring to an unruffled stop. While its brakes are undeniably strong, they seemed almost too sensitive and a tad grabby at first. However, I guess I’ve adapted to them, because I can now pull off acceptably smooth stops with gentle pressure on the pedal, and their responsiveness and power are welcome at other times. I certainly prefer that to having a mushy, inconsistent brake pedal under my foot.
On a related topic, the EX30’s adaptive cruise control isn’t as unobtrusive as the systems in some other cars I’ve run. It tends to over-react when it picks up another car ahead (and sometimes even in an adjacent lane), sometimes jabbing the brakes unnecessarily. For that reason, I use the cruise control only sparingly and enjoy being fully engaged with a car that’s far more dynamically adept than I’d ever have expected. More on that subject in my next report.
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