Chinese Volvo is now so afraid of tariffs from the EU that production of the electric car EX30 is being moved to Europe. Not to Sweden, but to Belgium.
The only remaining car factory in Belgium now also builds the Volvo EX30.
The Chinese car brand is so afraid of being hit by the tariffs the EU has imposed on Chinese electric cars that it is moving production to Europe.
Volvo Cars in Denmark writes in a press release that production began on Friday this week.
"The EX30 is crucial for us as we continue to strengthen our position in the premium electric car market in Europe," says Francesca Gamboni, chief manufacturing and supply chain officer at Volvo Cars.
– The investment in the European production of the EX30 in Ghent fits perfectly with our long-standing strategy of building our cars where they sell best.
EX30 is crucial for Volvo – several brands fear tariffs
– Our flexible global footprint contributes to our resilience and allows us to adjust our production plans more flexibly.
But the move to Belgium is not free for Volvo. The Chinese car brand claims that it has already invested 200 million euros (equivalent to one and a half billion Danish kroner) in the factory.
Money that has been spent on, among other things, just over 600 new or updated robots, an expansion of the battery hall, a new door production line, and a new assembly line that can handle the battery packs.
In fact, Volvo is so afraid of tariffs that it is currently building another factory in Europe. It is planned to be located in the Czech Republic. But whether this will also mean more employees, Volvo Cars does not say.
Volvo is far from the only one that is not happy with the European punitive tariffs on electric cars. Already a year ago, the crisis-stricken Aiways announced that it was moving almost all of its business to Europe. Read more about it here .
