Volvo May Finally Get Rid of Its Most Annoying Feature

So long, key card. You won’t be missed.

Photo by: Volvo

By: Jeff Perez

Oct 8, 2025 at 11:00am ET

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When I drove the Volvo EX30, one of the most frustrating features was its key card entry system. Instead of a traditional key fob, the EX30 uses a credit card-sized device for entry and startup. It was maddening.

Thankfully, the key card may soon be a thing of the past. According to Stephen Connor, Managing Director of Volvo Australia, customers simply don’t like the system—and it’s easy to understand why.

In an interview with Australian outlet Drive, Connor revealed that the company is considering scrapping the key card altogether, currently used in both the EX30 and EX90. Instead, Volvo wants owners to use their smartphones. As Connor explains:

'Our plan is to try to get people to use the phone as the key. That's what we're trying to push people to do. I can then unlock the car from anywhere. The card is a backup plan.’

Unfortunately, Volvo’s push to have owners use their smartphones as keys isn’t going entirely as planned either. According to Connor, the EX30 was originally targeted at customers between the ages of 24 and 50—but in reality, most buyers are significantly older. "It’s more people in their fifties to eighties who are buying the car," he says.

So, does this mean Volvo might bring back the beloved key fob for the EX30 and EX90? That remains unclear—but we can at least dream.

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