Volvo Cars sales volumes for the first half of 2021 is 41% higher than the same period in 2020 and up 12% over the same period in 2019. The 12-month rolling sales volume is approximately 775,000 cars, just shy of the 800,000-target set 10 years ago.
“The company continued to grow strongly despite the industry-wide semiconductor shortage, but more importantly, we demonstrated that we are a leader of the ongoing transformation in the automotive industry,” said Häkan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars.
Going Electric
Volvo aims to be fully electric by 2030. Sales of its Recharge models grew significantly, up 25% of the global volume. According to a release from Volvo, this is the highest electrification share as a proportion of total sales among traditional car makers.
As part of its move to full electrification, Volvo launched its second fully electric model, the C40 Recharge. It also ramped up its online sales strategy to meet changing customer behavior. From now on, all fully electric models will be available exclusively through volvocars.com, and customers will be able to order at home, at a Volvo studio or with a retailer.
Volvo also has teamed up with Northvolt for joint development and manufacturing of its next generation battery cells.
“Volvo Cars has a decade-long track record of successful transformation. The car industry is changing more than ever, and we have a strong determination to be the fastest transformer,” said Samuelsson.
Volvo opened its Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant in 2018, where it currently produces the S60 sedan with approximately 1,500 workers at the plant. In June, Volvo announced that it is investing $118 million in the plant so it can build fully electric vehicles. The company also has built a training and development facility at the campus to help train employees and its retailer network personnel.
