Volvo Cars Looks To Bolster Its Growing EV Market Share In South Africa, Adds Flagship Volvo EX90 – CleanTechnica

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Volvo’s flagship luxury SUV, the EX90, will join the South African lineup in the 1st half of 2025.

After several years of having BMW top the BEV sales charts and also have the largest market share, Volvo Cars South Africa is now firmly in the driving seat. BMW had been the leader in South Africa in terms of consistently bringing battery electric vehicles to South Africa since about 2015 when it brought the i3. The i3 went on to top the BEV sales charts in South Africa for several years. The iX3, the iX, and the MINI Cooper SE followed and were also regular features on the BEV podium. BMW is still there and thereabouts, with the BMW iX3 coming in second place in the 2024 BEV sales charts in South Africa, but Volvo Cars has surged.

Here is how the BEV market is looking at the moment in South Africa: The South African BEV market is tiny at the moment, with only 0.24% of all vehicles sold in South Africa being battery electric in 2024. 515,712 vehicles were sold in South Africa in 2024 and only 1,257 BEVs were sold in 2024. That’s still very low! With only 3,212 BEVs sold since 2018, it’s clear to see that sales of BEVs have been slow in South Africa compared to similar auto markets around the world. This is due to the limited variety of BEV models in the country, coupled with high import duties and taxes levied on electric vehicles.

Volvo Cars has responded to the call by offering an increasing range of models for a couple of years now as well as launching the EX30 compact SUV in 2024. The introduction of the EX30 was well received, as the EX30 set a new record for number of units sold by a single model in a calendar year. In 2024, the Volvo EX30 led the way with 406 sales, taking 32.3% of the BEV market. In second place was the BMW iX3 with 221 units, taking 17.6% of the BEV market. In third place was the Volvo XC40 with 103 units, which was 8.2% of the BEV market. 406 units is very impressive in the current market environment. Look at it this way: about 2 years prior to that, only 502 BEVs were sold in South Africa in the whole of 2022. That means in 2024, Volvo Cars South Africa sold enough EX30s to be equivalent to 81% of all BEVs sold in South Africa in 2022. That just goes to show how well the introduction of a good BEV model that is competitively priced in its vehicle segment can do in this small but growing market. Prior to that, the Volvo XC40 had topped the BEV sales charts in South Africa in 2023, selling  150 units that year.

Building on this success, Volvo Cars South Africa has just confirmed that its flagship electric SUV, the EX90, is coming to South Africa! Volvo Cars says that the EX90 is engineered to be the safest Volvo ever, and introduces the marque’s invisible safety shield. Volvo Cars says this innovative system combines advanced sensing technology, including cameras, radars, and LiDAR, to protect the vehicle’s occupants and other road users. These components are seamlessly integrated with the EX90’s cutting-edge vehicle computers, powered by Volvo’s proprietary software and NVIDIA DRIVE technology.

The EX90 is built on Volvo’s advanced SPA2 platform and joins the brand’s growing lineup of battery-electric vehicles, which includes the EX30, C40 Recharge, and XC40 Recharge. The EX90 comes in Twin Motor Performance guise, and here the EX90 delivers 380 kW of power and 910 N.m of torque, ensuring smooth, powerful performance. This allows the EX90 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, offering effortless power and refined progress.

Felipe Yagi, Head of Marketing & Communications at Volvo Car South Africa, is confident the EX90 will resonate with those seeking a spacious, luxurious family SUV without compromising their choice for an electric vehicle. “The EX90 has already made a strong impression internationally, and we’re thrilled to see it debut on South African roads,” said Yagi. “With its cutting-edge safety features and luxurious interior, the EX90 embodies the essence of a flagship Volvo, redefining perceptions of electrified luxury.”

Volvo adds that the EX90 achieves an impressive 751 km on a single charge in urban driving and 604 km on the combined cycle, making it well-suited for extended road trips. It has a 111 kWh battery that can be recharged from 10% to 80% in just 30 minutes using a 250 kW DC fast charger, ensuring minimal downtime during journeys. South Africa already has a growing ultrafast charging network, meaning drivers of the EX90 can get to experience its full charging capabilities.

Volvo says that the Volvo EX90 and the brand’s other electric models exemplify its commitment to electrification. The Swedish automaker continues to provide various electrified options across its lineup in South Africa, including battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and mild hybrids, “catering to diverse preferences.” By 2030, Volvo aims to have electrified vehicles — including BEVs and PHEVs — account for 90–100% of its global sales. Local pricing and specifications for the EX90 lineup will be announced closer to the South African launch later this year.

Looking at the top three best selling models in South Africa — the Volvo EX30, the BMW iX3, the Volvo XC40 — or in fact the top 6 bestselling models, they are mostly compact SUVs except for the iX and MINI hatchback. The iX is a larger SUV. This goes to show that SUVs are the most popular BEVs available in South Africa. Most of them start from around R800,000, with the iX3 and iX going for more than R1 million. In fact, the iX starts from over R1.75 million. In the wider context, the iX has done quite well in this market. The iX1 is also in the mix, starting at about R1.2 million. The Volvo EX30 starts from around R775,000 and is the most affordable battery electric vehicles among these vehicles and you can see why it tops the sales charts. South Africa needs more affordable BEV models to really catalyse sales. I’m hoping 2025 is the year we see more sub-R500,000 BEVs in South Africa.