Volvo has delayed deliveries of the EX30 because of an issue with the full-electric small SUV’s software.
It is the second Volvo EV stung by software trouble after the EX90.
“We confirm that Volvo is working tirelessly to resolve the problem,” the automaker said in a correspondence to its dealers seen by Automotive News Europe. “Important progress has been made but the software version 1.2 does not yet meet all the requirements necessary to be released.”
When asked about the delay, a Volvo spokesperson said in an email: "A limited number of customers have had to wait a few extra days for their cars to be delivered while we address some minor details, but with these now solved, we look forward to rapidly scaling up EX30 deliveries."
The correspondence contradicates that assessment, as it mentions mutiple delays that have lasted roughly two weeks.
The EX30s are registered and ready to be driven off dealers’ lots as soon as the software issue is fixed, a source close to the company said, adding that the issue is affecting deliveries of the small SUV in markets around the world.
The source said the update could not be performed over the air, it has to be done at the dealership. This update will start being done on Tuesday, the source said.
Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary annual OEM Survey of over 100 executives reveals that the majority of respondents are worried about the financial impact of Chinese automakers’ growing global market share, and most expect that the EV transition to be slower than expected. The survey also queried executives on their outlooks for dealership valuations and profitability, as well as their expectations for the future of dealer networks and facility requirements.
With a starting price of 36,590 euros in Germany and a 0-100 kph (62 mph) time as fast as 3.6 seconds, the Chinese-made EX30 is the most affordable and fastest accelerating Volvo yet.
It is also crucial to helping Volvo boost global sales by 69 percent to reach its target of selling 1.2 million cars as early as 2025.
Volvo sold a record 708,716 vehicles worldwide in 2023.
While the company declined to go into detail about the issue, the customer correspondence said that the 1.2 software “contains, among other things, some Google certifications and key updates.” Without them: “the cars cannot and must not be delivered.”
The spokesperson said that Volvo decided to delay deliveries because, "We want the best possible experience for our EX30 customers."
Other automakers have also struggled with the launch of software in their vehicles.
U.S. EV startup Fisker will update the software on its Ocean SUVs to activate missing advanced driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control on April 1, CEO Henrik Fisker said earlier this month.
In 2020, Volkswagen launched the ID3 full-electric compact without some key functions.
It took VW until December of that year to rectify the problem.
