[Volvo EX30] Add option to disable automatic wiper activation on door open

UK based owner, bored sat on a train yesterday so started a brain dump of my thoughts on the EX30…apologies long post. I’ve been driving the EX30 for about 6 weeks now, and I’ve racked up around 1600 miles! I’m usually in the car solo, commuting a 30-mile round trip 2-3 days a week to the office, plus a 250-mile trip to another office every couple of weeks. I wanted to share my thoughts on the car, the dealership/ownership experience, and the whole switch from ICE to BEV. I’m not new to Volvo (we had a XC90 when the kids were little and thought it was the best family car ever), but I jumped into the EX30 from a 2-year-old Porsche Macan. I’d been thinking about getting an electric Porsche since the Taycan came out, but the dealers were super pushy (basically, there’s a waiting list, so you either want one or not?), and the depreciation was insane because they were flooding the market with business users who then put them back into dealers at the end of their PCP/lease. Those same dealers are still asking top dollar for them and offering crazy finance rates, which started to bug me. I took the electric Macan for a test drive, but to get the same specs as the car I had on the drive was over £80k—a price I just couldn’t justify. The Macan was getting close to 3 years old (October), and I was starting to think about the costs of keeping it around (service, warranty extensions, etc.). Keeping a car past 3 years always feels like throwing money away. One Sunday morning, I was stuck in traffic because of a local half-marathon, and I noticed that every 25-plate car was a BEV. Three friends had recently gone electric, and I was starting to think the tipping point was near where the dealer incentives would disappear as manufacturers started to hit their targets. I just happened to be driving past the new Volvo dealership, and the EX30 had previously caught my eye on the road, so I decided to pull in… The sales experience was pretty good! OK It wasn’t quite the same as Porsche, but it was super relaxed. They were happy to just hand me the keys to a car for a few hours and told me to come back before they closed. Car impressed on the test drive, although I was expecting it to be more the size of the XC40 but the deal was really something else. A £1500 deposit contribution, 3yrs free servicing, a free Ohme wall charger, and 0% finance! It definitely made me think, so I went home and started crunching the numbers. I fed some parameters into chatGPT (see attached), and the answer was absolutely mind-blowing. The money I would be putting into the Macan to keep it another year would simply be dead money. The savings from the EX30 would give me the chance to try electric without the eye-watering depreciation of a Taycan/Macan. Of course, I went with the Ultra Twin Performance. I was able to pick any colour/interior combo and because all were in the Volvo compound could be delivered within a week or so. I had already settled on Vapour Grey/Mist, was left alone to complete the order and finance application online in the dealership, and on completion was informed the car would be ready to collect just over a week later. Collection was a mixed bag and probably highlighted the mismatch between sales and new technology… basically, despite pretending to be tech-savvy, the sales exec messed up the set up of internet in the car and my profile. It was the end of the day, so no one was around, and the advice was, “…go home it takes time to connect, give it 30 mins, and it will all be working!”… Of course, that wasn’t the case… more on that below…My biggest gripe was the lack of attention to detail, the main annoyance being neither the front or rear plates were put on straight, which once I’d spotted back home drove me crazy until I refitted them properly…I’m pretty sure that would have been a written warning at Porsche LOL. So the setup issue! I was really expecting to drive back to the dealer (luckily just a couple of miles away) to get a technician to take a look. Honestly, I was a bit worried since I’ve had Vodafone issues in cars before. The next morning, I was sipping a coffee and stumbled upon the help section in the EX30 app. I messaged Volvo, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find someone who knew what they were doing on the other end! Basically, in just 5 minutes, they did a full OTA reset, told me to leave the car for an hour.I headed back to the car an hour later, and everything was working perfectly…Was really impressed that was all it took to fix the issue and that’s been the only issue I’ve had. Fingers crossed it stays that way! So, my thoughts on the EX30 in no particular order… The good… Design - I really like the design, in fact seeing one on the road is what grabbed my attention. Everyone who’s commented has said how great the car looks, and I have to agree! I’d actually say it’s more Polestar than Volvo. And the number of people who have said it looks ‘futuristic’ was a surprise. Build Quality - I was coming into the purchase with Volvo in mind as a premium, albeit mainstream manufacturer. But after hanging out in forums and FB groups I started to worry maybe the EX30 was a more budget-friendly option. Maybe I’ve lowered my expectations, but the build quality has been amazing. Actually, there have been fewer squeaks and rattles than any recent car I’ve owned. Performance - Even without the All Wheel Performance mode on, it’s insane! Mist - Instead of the Nordic ‘pleather’ that the dealer had in every car on the lot, I went with what I call ‘full Ikea’ and picked the wool Mist interior. TBH, I was aiming for a complete contrast to the dark interior of every car I can remember. Initially, I was trying to justify the choice, thinking people would think I was being cheap, but no need! Everyone has been so complimentary over Mist. TBH if there had been a similar light coloured leather option I’d have probably picked it but im pretty happy with the Mist trim. Materials - It’s a bit unfair to directly compare cabin materials between a Porsche & the EX30, but I think Volvo has really nailed the sustainability angle, which helps to hide (or maybe even excuse) the obvious differences. Pilot Assist - Once I got used to it, this feature has been absolutely flawless. I’d even say that, along with the car’s overall vibe, it’s actually mellowed me as a driver and more than happy for the car to do its thing for me. Vapour Grey - I absolutely love the colour! I paid £1600 for a similar colour on the Macan, and I was always disappointed it wasn’t just plain grey rather a chalky, grey, or beige shade depending on how bright the day was. Vapour Grey is the colour I’ve always wanted! Charging - The only time I’ve used a fast charger, the car had already charged 40-80% before I’d grabbed my coffee from the Starbucks next door! I used a granny charger at home waiting for the Ohme install and wasn’t really any issue. Once the complimentary Ohme install was done, Intelligent Octopus Go really seems to be a total game-changer. Screen Only - Not a problem for me at all… the stuff I use the most is easily accessible through shortcuts. The one thing I always spot in reviews is changing the mirrors, but how often do people change mirror positions I haven’t changed them since I set up the car at the dealer! Mirrors - Speaking of mirrors, I absolutely love the design of the frameless mirrors. Digital key- I know this one is a mixed bag for some, but generally, for me, it’s been brilliant. I hate carrying things in my pockets. My phone/watch has replaced my wallet but even though I’ve had keyless entry/start on cars for years ive still had to carry a key. Using the phone/watch seems like the future…it’s a bit weird sometimes walking into the kitchen and seeing the car unlock/lock out of the window, but it’s worked pretty much faultlessly with the odd exception where I’ve had to pull on the door handle a couple of times… maybe I should try to correlate that to whether or not the car has been locking/unlocking as I go through the house? I believe the UWB is clever enough to know if you’re approaching the car, etc. so maybe I’m confusing the car as I approach it and unlocks in the house then locks again before I leave? EX30 App - Okay, another area that seem to divide the community…but it pretty much does what I want and has the features I need. I’d describe the design as ‘Scandinavian,’ like the car, super clean and fuss-free, so I’m not sure what’s missing, it does more than the Porsche app that i never looked at after a few days. I do seem to get logged out every couple of weeks but it connects to my car without fail when I log back in. The biggest letdown is the dead link to the online manual. Also, it’s a bit strange that to get the widget/watch app, you need to link the Volvo Cars app, and that’s not obvious at first glance! Pano Roof - I absolutely love how light and spacious it makes the interior! Had this on the last car and whilst I miss the chance to open for a bit of air I also know that pano roofs are a source of real pain with blocked rain channels etc so maybe the simpler implementation here is actually the better option? Negatives… Penny pinching - I’ve noticed some signs of building to a budget. I know car prices have gone up a lot in the last 4-5 years, and I know the range starts at around in the mid £30k range, but mine is still a £45k car from a ‘premium’ manufacturer. Its all screwed together well but missing things like door scuff plates given that a set cost me less than a tenner from AliExpress, and IMHO, really lifts the impression of quality when you open the door… why aren’t they fitted from the factory? Wipers - Why does it default to wiping the screen as soon as you open the door? I usually avoid using wipers, so having them smear the screen for the slightest moisture on the sensor is a real pain! Lemon! - Why the lemon-coloured accents in the centre console? Just give me boring old black or grey! Durability - Although I’ve been impressed with most materials, some interior plastics seem to be easily scratched, annoyingly these are in high-contact areas (the inner sills and areas around the seatbelt buckle). Seats - I know they aren’t supposed to be super sporty seats, but a little more bolstering and thigh length would be great… actually, in the twin performance, why not something a little more overtly sporty? Public Charging - Not had a problem with locations or reliability, my issue is the cost…it’s crazy expensive…dont mind paying 60-70p for the fast chargers when im on the road, but the number of 7kw chargers charging similar price for slow charging is a joke! Meh… HUD/secondary Display - The main display is fine for me, got used to it after a few days but I’m curious why an extra one above the steering wheel isnt even an option. Whilst It’s not really a deal-breaker, but it would have addressed most of the negativity in the vast majority of reviews and in the grand scheme of things would cost pennies. That said I don’t remember any big fuss when the Toyota Yaris or the BMW Mini had a central instrument binnacle ages ago think that motoring journalists are just cutting and pasting each other for copy at times! Range - I was sold a car with a 280-mile range. The official stats are 279.6 miles combined, 366.6 miles city (I’ll have what they were smoking that day please), and I’m getting a predicted maximum of about 220 miles in the summer with a full charge. Bearing in mind I dont charge above 90% and dont drop below 20% thats only 70% so realistically it’s 160 miles. I’m not sure if I should call trading standards LOL! Rear Space - It’s usually just me most journey, maybe the odd journey with a passenger, and I don’t really use the back seat, but I’d love another inch or two in the back. It feels like the car’s packaging is a bit tight for its size. Steering - It feels a bit too light, even when I’m in the firmest setting. It feels like I could drive it with one finger! One Pedal Driving: Since it’s my first electric car, it’s hard to compare, but I find the OPD underwhelming. I’m not sure if I should trust it to stop me or not! Fingers crossed the next update will fix this. Wheel Design: I’m not a huge fan of the wheel designs, the new 20-inch design for MY26 looks much nicer! Driver Safety features - like everyone else I turn off the driver attention and speed limit warnings as soon as I get in the car…I know why are they are there but Volvo please add an option to turn off all driver alerts from the steering wheel. TBH The user defined options for the steering wheel aren’t really much use! Google - not sure if its still booting after the car has started sometimes takes what sometimes Google seems to take what seems like an age before I can issue voice commands to the assistant…noticeable when setting off an want to add a sat nav destination. Overall, its not perfect but I’m pretty positive about the EX30 and give it a solid 8/10*