Volvo MD says company is considering stopping new key card system based entirely on customer feedback

Volvo has said it would consider scrapping its newly introduced key card system if feedback from customers called for it.

Last year, the carmaker introduced the new keyless system on the EX30.

This was then followed by the same system being used on the 2025 EX90.

However, the new system hasn’t gone down well with everyone, and Volvo has said it wouldn’t rule out getting rid of it, if customers weren’t happy.

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Volvo introduced a key card system, but is it here to stay?

For its EX30 and EX90, Volvo has embraced new technology and ditched the traditional key fob. 

Instead, it has introduced a key card system, which motorists tap against the B-pillar to unlock and then place on the center console to turn the car on. 

Alternatively, drivers can also use their phones as a digital key.

However, in the US market, only iPhones and Apple Watches work with the app’s digital key for the cars, meaning Android users are reliant on the card.

The carmaker has issued an update saying the digital key will be coming to Android devices, but as yet hasn’t shared a timeline. 

In the meantime, the key card system has divided motorists, with some thinking it’s quick and easy and others not so impressed. 

In a Reddit thread, one EX30 owner said they were having a ‘total nightmare’ with the card, and others agreed. 

“My issues have been that the car won’t unlock at all, had Volvo recovery out more times than I can remember,” one said.

In an interview with Drive, Volvo Australia managing director Stephen Connor said that the company is happy to adapt based on feedback from its customers. 

He said that in the long-term Volvo hoped that most people would use their phones to unlock their cars, and that the key card was a ‘backup’. 

“But for us as a brand, we learn and we adapt,” he went on.

“So that may not be the case forever. And when we get feedback, we will look to change it. 

“That’s the beauty of the over-the-air updates. We can’t guarantee that it’s going to change tomorrow, but when it does, you don’t have to do anything physically to the vehicle.”

The carmaker has embraced technology in recent months

As well as introducing its key card entry technology to two of its EVs earlier this year, Volvo announced it was partnering with Google to bring Gemini AI features to its cars. 

Back in May, Google said the EX90 would be the first vehicle to feature Gemini AI.

According to its creator, the new tech will allow drivers to communicate with their vehicles more naturally and conversationally, and has additional features such as assisting navigation, messaging, and accessing vehicle information.

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