Volvo EX30 Pre-Launch Interview with Volvo’s Head of Interior Design & UX

The all-new Volvo EX30 recently made its global debut as the Swedish marque’s most affordable EV model to date.

Volvo Cars head of interior design Lisa Reeves (left) & head of UX Thomas Stovicek (right)

Prior to its global debut, we at Caricarz.com had the opportunity to sit down in an interview with Volvo Cars’ head of interior design Lisa Reeves and head of UX Thomas Stovicek to talk about the EX30’s cabin design, as well as the UX design.

Question 1: We know that the EX30 will be Volvo’s most compact SUV yet, so how does the car prioritise both the passenger and driver’s comfort and convenience? Are there any design adaptations to accommodate the EX30’s smaller footprint?

Lisa: So, this is our smallest car to date, and we wanted it to have the same rich experience but in a much more concentrated form. That led to our theme of centralisation, which is partly due to the lack of space, as well as taking a sustainable approach on design. This is where we really try to work in making every component have multiple functions, hence reducing the usage of unnecessary components that use more materials and add more weight to the car.

This theme of centralisation puts a lot of features and functions down at the centre of the car. This is because it’s an easier place where both passengers and drivers can access and interact with these items, as well as freeing up more space for the passenger area.

The EX30's central console leaves more space for the passengers in this rather compact SUV

A good example of this implementation can be seen on the EX30’s tunnel console, where you get extra space due to the flat floor of the EV architecture. Here you can see the car’s glove box, which has been moved to the centre from in front of the passenger, giving better access to both front passengers. Below that you can see the wireless charging pad, while in the lower tunnel we have a drawer-style storage space to keep your stuff. There’s also a removable storage compartment at the rear part of the central console, which can be used by the rear passengers.

Through this, we really look to maximise the usage of the central console space, while the multi-storage layout provides passengers with more storage options. More importantly, putting all of these at the centre frees up more space for the passengers in this rather compact footprint.

Question 2: We’re also been told that the EX30 will be Volvo's most environmentally-friendly model to date, with a carbon footprint 25% lower than that of the existing C40 Recharge. Do you guys need to compromise anything when designing the interior to obtain such a low carbon footprint?

Lisa: As you know, sustainability is quite a big topic, where there’s many different areas where we can look at reducing the carbon footprint of the EX30’s production. Among the areas we explored are the energy used to produce the car, as well as the car’s aerodynamics, where for the latter we can find a balance between utility and aerodynamics.

The EX30 cabin is laden with both recyclable and naturally-renewable materials

On the interior, we look at the materials used, where Volvo has developed many new materials which are generally lighter in weight compared to the conventional materials. We also apply our philosophy of utilising components to the limit and be smart with what we make, which resulted in the reduction of components and materials used without any compromises.

We also designed the interior to be more symmetrical due to the aforementioned centralisation theme that also helps us with right-hand drive (RHD) and left-hand drive (LHD) conversions.

All in all, there’s lots of things we’ve considered in reducing the EX30’s production carbon footprint, ranging from big engineering stuff to the smallest of details, which all contributed towards reducing the production carbon footprint.

Question 3: We can see from the EX90’s cabin that the EX30 will boast the same single infotainment screen layout with no physical buttons or controls, including for the climate controls. What's the rationale behind the decision to integrate the climate controls on the car's main infotainment system? Aren't physical buttons or controls better for this specific application?

Thomas: We’re taking a very thoughtful approach to simplifying the UX where we think of what physical controls or touch controls are best for. For example, frequently-used things or things you don’t need to use your eyes for like turn signals are better to be controlled physically, whereas the screens are better for visual-related functionalities. 

Plus, we also consider that people now have an expectation to bring their digital lives with them such as music and videos from their devices into the car, which is why we made mobile apps like Spotify available on board, while mobile phone connectivity like Apple CarPlay allows them to do so too. This also means that you get to customise what’s available in your car.

Volvo EX30's central-mounted infotainment display

When it comes to climate, it is actually quite complicated, as there’s a lot of different controls and buttons with different modes that you can adjust. What we’ve done to our climate control system is that we tweaked the infotainment’s user interface (UI) to show up the most frequently-used functionalities of the climate control, which are the temperature adjustment.

A mini panel will pop up from the screen that enables access to the most frequently-used functions, which prevents users from navigating through other functions of the climate control system. They can just tap the popped-up panel to change the essential functions of the system easier, just like how you do it on physical buttons. All in all, we’ve been able to use the dynamic-ness of the touchscreen UI and simplify that for the users.

2024 Volvo EX30 EV SUV

In case you’ve missed it, the Volvo EX30 EV SUV made its debut last week as not only the marque’s most affordable EV to date, but also as their smallest model. However, don’t let its puny size fool you, as the EX30 is also the fastest-accelerating Volvo model to date, capable of going from nought to 100 KM/H in just 3.6 seconds.

Alongside the EX90, the new EX30 will spearhead Volvo’s next-generation all-electric lineup, as the marque plans to transition into a full-blown EV brand by the end of this decade.