With sales exceeding 11,000 last fall, the Volvo EX30 demonstrated the very sound strategy of the Geely group, owner of the Swedish manufacturer. However, its sales figures in Europe quickly declined due to Chinese production and customs duties imposed on the Old Continent. Promised for almost a year, the repatriation of production is finally effective: the starting signal for the European EX30 has been given in Belgium.
Launched In 2023, the Volvo EX30 is particularly popular for its design and the minimalism of its interior. It is also a powerful, pleasant to drive and spacious compact SUV, which perfectly optimizes its size. Despite its limited autonomy due to the consumption of the engine(s), its order book placed it in fourth place among Volvo's best-selling cars and third place among the best-selling cars in Europe in 2024 (78,000 units), just behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. A real success.
Thanks to a factory in In Ghent, Belgium, customs duties will be removed from the model, and customers will be able to benefit from more advantageous prices (starting at €38,990 today). The car's carbon footprint will also be significantly reduced with more local production for the European market. Until now, the site's 7,000 employees were working on the assembly of EX40 (ex-XC40), and EC40 (ex-C40).
Volvo, the largest employer in Flanders
The last surviving car factory in the Flemish region, the Volvo site is now the largest employer in the region. In 1997, Renault closed the Vilvoorde site, while Opel closed the Antwerp site in 2010. In 2024, Ford closed its Genk site, before Audi also abandoned its Brussels site. To accommodate its EX30, Volvo invested 200 million euros in expanding its assembly plant.
Also available in the United States, the Volvo EX30 has until now been produced exclusively in China. How did the brand avoid being penalized by American customs duties? The answer is simple: it is eligible for customs duty reimbursement thanks to its operations in South Carolina.
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