Living with a Volvo EX30: finding out how this award-winning small electric car stacks up as a daily driver

This is my new Volvo EX30. For the past few months I had been running our Volkswagen ID7 GTX, but after some eyelash fluttering from reviews editor Darren Cassey I surrendered the keys to the cavernous VW so he could use it to ferry his family around.

I was sad to see the ID7 go, but in fairness I don’t really have use for such an enormous car as a single man living alone – it’s much better deployed chauffeuring Darren’s three-year old and all the gear which goes with child rearing (I hear there’s quite a lot).

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So, back to my new Volvo. The EX30 was actually crowned Carwow’s Car Of The Year back in 2024 thanks to its sleek Scandinavian styling, affordable price tag and funky interior. The day my new car was dropped off, I was immediately reminded just how cool it looks.

This car is finished in Onyx Black. We picked this colour because most EX30s you see are light blue or bright yellow – the black seemed like something a bit different, and I do quite like it. It gives the EX30 a Storm Trooper vibe, however I do think it suits lighter colours slightly better – they show off the more intricate details of this design.

The cabin is also quite cool. We’ve gone for the Pine interior, which means you get green seats and door card inserts. The dashboard trim is also a funky-looking woven material – it looks a bit like a jute tote bag.

We’ve sprung for the top-spec Ultra version of the EX30, meaning we get things like a panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree camera, Harman Kardon sound system and Pilot Assist – a more advanced adaptive cruise control system which can steer to keep you in lane.

Powering this car we have two electric motors which make a whopping 430hp. The first time I drove this car I was taken aback by just how fast it is, but it’ll be interesting to see what this performance does to the range.

The EX30 has a 69kWh battery, and this Twin Motor Performance version should be able to do 280 miles on a charge. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the real-world range to see how close it gets.

There are no optional extras fitted to this car. The black paint and green interior are no-cost options, so in total this top-spec EX30 costs £44,860. That makes it slightly more than a range-topping Kia EV3, however that car doesn’t have 430hp.

On first impressions, I think I’ll get on with the EX30 quite well. It did take a couple of days to get my head around the infotainment system – it’s not the most intuitive setup and everything in the car is controlled through it.

Other than that though, it’s comfy to drive, stupidly fast and I love the way it looks. Keep an eye out over the next few months for updates on what this car is like to live with.

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