The new EX30 is finally reaching buyers, but Volvo was faced with an almost immediate challenge as tariffs threatened the automaker’s ability to sell the Chinese-made EV at anywhere near a reasonable price. Volvo found a way around those issues, at least partially, by moving production to Ghent, Belgium, helping it avoid extreme tariffs imposed on vehicles imported from the country.
Volvo had already kicked off Belgian EX30 production, but the first vehicles made there were destined for European markets. Beyond tariffs, the automaker was also seeing extended wait times for EX30s shipped from China, and the move to Belgium is expected to significantly reduce those times. Those delays helped knock the EX30 out of the top-ten best-selling EVs in Europe, making the production move even more timely for Volvo.
CEO Hakan Samuellson told Automotive News that, “The car is now being built in Europe, which means faster delivery times. We should return to the sales and market share figures for the EX30 that we had before the introduction of tariffs.” It was unclear if Volvo would push forward with the EX30 in light of the tariffs, but the move to European production means it will remain on sale for at least a while. Volvo is also expected to lean on its South Carolina factory to help skirt some tariff damage, so we could see more American production soon.
[Images: Volvo]
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