Mzansi ranks top 10 in EMEA markets for Volvo EX30 orders
Volvo South Africa has disclosed that early demand for the new completely electric EX30 has been quite robust, with the local market placing among the top ten in the broader Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) area for pre-orders.
The announcement comes just in time for World EV Day 2023, which takes place on September 9th and is devoted to showcasing the benefits of battery-powered vehicles and raising awareness of the need for a transition to more sustainable modes of transportation.
The EX30 – which is positioned as one of the most affordable full-size electric vehicles in South Africa – was revealed to the world on 7 June 2023, with local pre-orders opening the following day. Since then, South Africans have placed in excess of 150 pre-orders, with many more registering expressions of interest on Volvo Car SA’s website.
For context, EV sales in South Africa in the first half of 2023 totalled 501 units, according to industry representative body Naamsa, with the Swedish automaker leading the sales charge in the fully electric premium C-SUV segment thanks to the performances of the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. The scheduled arrival of the EX30 in the first quarter of 2024 means Volvo is poised to further increase its share in the fast-growing EV market.
So far, the EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra has been the most popular derivative with South Africans, accounting for nearly half of all local pre-orders. Next comes the Single Motor Plus Extended Range at around 25% of pre-orders, followed by the entry-level Single Motor Core variant, the flagship Twin Motor Performance Plus and the Single Motor Ultra Extended Range.
“Since the EX30 was revealed, we have seen a steady flow of new orders weekly. Although we have already secured a high allocation of units for 2024, there’s an increasingly strong chance we will need to boost that figure,” says Greg Maruszewski, Volvo Car South Africa Managing Director.
He adds that the early demand proves just how interested South African buyers are in EVs, particularly when such vehicles are both high-quality products and priced close to equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) cars.
“We worked tirelessly to set EX30 pricing at an extremely competitive level in order to grant South African consumers the chance to own an electric SUV for the price of a similarly sized ICE vehicle. Our pre-orders prove that we got that right,” Maruszewski says.
The five-strong EX30 range starts at just R775 900. In the 315 kW Twin Motor Performance guise, the newcomer is the fastest-accelerating Volvo ever, completing the 0-100 km/h sprint in a mere 3.6 seconds. The extended-range version of the Single Motor (rear-wheel drive) powertrain, meanwhile, is capable of covering up to 480 km on the WLTP cycle. EX30 orders can be placed on the MyVolvo website.
