How many of Volvo’s most affordable electric cars are coming to South Africa
Volvo plans to bring nearly the same number of its more affordable EX30 compact SUV to South Africa next year as all the fully-electric cars sold in South Africa in 2022.
The much-anticipated crossover electric vehicle (EV) made global motoring headlines when it was announced in June 2023.
Volvo Car South Africa managing director Greg Maruszewski told MyBroadband the company has been allocated 500 EX30 units in 2024.
A total of 502 fully-electric cars were sold in South Africa in the entire 2022, and 501 in the first half of 2023.
Maruszewski said Volvo South Africa also has the option to take up more production slots if required.
“The intention is to be a lot more aggressive with a lot more cars being available from launch, and we do have the production capacity for that ambitious rollout,” he said.
The EX30 will be the company’s most affordable electric car yet and its fastest-accelerating car ever — going from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds.
The entry-level model gets a single 203kW motor with 343Nm torque, paired with a 51kWh battery that provides a WLTP range of 344km.
The latter can be upgraded to a 69kWh pack that supports up to 480km in the Single Motor Extended Range model or 460km in the Twin Motor Performance.
The EX30 is set to arrive on local shores starting from R775,900 in the first quarter of 2024 and has been available for pre-order since its global unveiling.
The top-of-the-line dual motor version will cost R935,900, which is still substantially cheaper than other electric SUVs on the market.
Volvo EX30 electric crossover
Volvo has already established itself as one of the major EV players in South Africa.
It currently sells the second-highest number of electric cars in the country despite only offering one model — the XC40 Recharge.
In the first half of 2023, this model racked up 98 sales, working out to one in every five electric car sales sold in the country during the period.
While BMW’s tally was 252, it includes four models. That means the XC40 Recharge is perhaps the best-selling single electric model in South Africa.
“The XC40 Recharge is leading sales in the premium SUV EV segment for the first half of 2023, significantly outselling all rivals,” Maruszewski said.
It also appears dressed for success for the EX30’s rollout.
Maruszewski said South Africa currently ranks among the top 10 countries in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region regarding EX30 pre-orders.
“First-week orders did impress us, but what is more impressive is that we have a steady flow of new orders weekly,” Maruszewski stated.
“We have a high allocation of the EX30 for 2024, but if this pace continues, we may need to increase that, which hopefully we can do.”
Greg Maruszewski, managing director at Volvo Car South Africa
Maruszewski said that Volvo South Africa tried to price the car as closely to a petrol or diesel equivalent,
“We are obviously keen to promote the EV sales in all our markets, so the positioning needs to be right,” he said.
The EX30 is not Volvo’s only new fully-electric car in South Africa next year.
The EX90 will also be available locally later in 2024, geared towards motorists who require something a bit bigger.
The 7-seater will offer 408kW power and up to 600km range, making it well-geared for long-distance family trips.
“Both we and our dealer network are very excited about the next year. With both the EX30 and EX90 coming, the biggest and smallest cars we offer will both be electric,” said Maruszewski.
The company hopes that the trade department’s eagerly-expected EV policy will help stimulate EV demand by introducing some sort of subsidy on electric cars — possibly via reductions or rebates in duties, ad valorem, VAT, or tax credits.
The department has promised that this paper will be ready by the end of the year.
“Currently, the equivalent EVs tend to be more expensive than equivalent ICE cars,” Maruszewski said.
“But that will change in a few years, as economies of scale kick in, and the global market adopts more EVs.”
“We are looking to subsidise the interim period to keep South Africa on the same EV path as the rest of the world.”
Below are more photos of the Volvo EX30, landing in South Africa in Q1 2024.
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