According to figures released by industry representative body, naamsa, local sales of electric vehicles (EVs) grew 145% year-on-year in the opening half of 2023 to 502 units. For the record, that figure matches the market’s total EV sales effort for the entire 2022.

The Swedish luxury firm was at the very forefront of this year-on-year growth in H1 2023, with the XC40 Recharge and the freshly launched C40 Recharge leading the way in the premium C-SUV EV segment, racking up 99 registrations between them. The XC40 Recharge – which is available in both Single Motor Plus and Twin Motor Ultimate guise – accounted for 89 of those sales.

Volvo’s segment total is more than triple that of its closest premium C-SUV EV competitor brand, which managed 31 registrations – likewise spread across two nameplates – in the half-year reporting period. In terms of individual model sales, the next closest contender in the category ended H1 2023 with 22 sales.

“The South African public’s response to our fully electric models has been overwhelming. In fact, thanks to the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge dominating the premium C-SUV EV segment, Volvo sold the second-highest number of electric cars of any brand across the industry over the first six months of the year, despite the fact that two of our main competitors each offers as many as six fully electric nameplates,” says Greg Maruszewski (Managing Director at Volvo Car South Africa).

The Gothenburg-based automaker looks poised to grow its EV market share even further in the coming months, with pre-orders for the fully electric EX30 having opened in June 2023. This brand-new electric SUV represents the cornerstone of Volvo’s global electrification growth ambitions and will touch down in 2024 as one of the most affordable full-size contenders in South Africa’s burgeoning EV market.

The EX30 constitutes the next significant step towards Volvo’s goal of half its global sales volume comprising fully electric cars by 2025, with the remainder taking the form of hybrids. By 2030, the Swedish luxury firm plans for every new vehicle it sells to be completely electric, demonstrating its steadfast commitment to a zero-emission future.