The fully electric Volvo EX30 is now Made in Belgium!
It’s time to celebrate, because our colleagues in Ghent have reached a big milestone with the start of production of EX30 in Belgium.
The first fully assembled Volvo EX30 rolls off the production line at the Ghent manufacturing facility.
Building premium Volvo cars is a highly complex process. That means introducing a new model in one of our factories takes time. Our manufacturing engineers need to plan out the entire production sequence in detail, our purchasers must get the supply chain up and running, and various teams in the plant must make all the necessary physical and process-related changes to start production. Normally, this takes the better part of two years.
No wonder that our colleagues at Volvo Car Gent are quite chuffed about getting EX30 production going in their factory this week, because they’ve made this happen in record time!
"Today, we are extremely proud to welcome the EX30 and demonstrate that new technology and innovation enable us to react more flexibly to market demands."
“Following a decision in autumn 2023 to bring production of the EX30 to Ghent, we were able to industrialise the new model in record time,” said Stefan Fesser, our plant manager in Ghent. “Thanks to the engagement and collaboration of the entire Ghent team, we cut the industrialisation time in half. Today, we are extremely proud to welcome the EX30 and demonstrate that new technology and innovation enable us to react more flexibly to market demands.”
To make EX30 production possible in Ghent, we’ve made investments worth around EUR 200 million in recent years.. The changes include the addition of a completely new car platform, the installation of almost 600 new or refurbished robots, an extension of the battery hall, a new door production line as well as a new battery pack assembly line.
And there’s more good news, because adding EX30 to the Volvo Car Gent production line will result in around 350 new jobs at the plant. That brings the total number of employees to around 6,600 people. To top things off, later this year we’ll also add the EX30 Cross Country to the Ghent line.
Early production stages at the Ghent factory.
A popular choice in Europe
The reason behind introducing EX30 in Ghent is to further diversify our manufacturing footprint and be even better at building our cars where we sell them. The EX30 has been a popular choice with customers from the moment we introduced it in late 2023 and it was one of Europe’s best-selling electric cars in 2024. Adding it to the Ghent line now means we can meet demand for our small yet mighty electric SUV even better in coming years.
“The EX30 is crucial for us as we continue to strengthen our position in the premium EV market in Europe,” said Francesca Gamboni, our chief manufacturing and supply chain officer. “Investing in the European production of the EX30 in Ghent perfectly aligns with our long-held strategy to build our cars where they sell best. Our flexible global footprint contributes to our resilience, allowing us to adjust our manufacturing plans with agility.”
Building the EX30 in Europe supports the European Union’s sustainability and competitiveness agenda, as it represents an investment in a green future that creates jobs and embraces innovation. Between our Ghent and Sweden-based Torslanda plants, we now produce 10 different electric and hybrid Volvo models in Europe.
Congrats to the entire team in Ghent, and here’s to many more Belgian-built EX30s zooming around Europe’s roads!
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