Volvo braces for challenging year ahead after more than doubling EV sales and breaking revenue record in 2022
Volvo Cars has shared its full year report for 2022, showcasing record revenue numbers for the automaker’s entire history as it moves closer to becoming a fully-electric brand. After a strong share of EV sales in Q4, Volvo’s total percentage for the year more than doubled compared to 2021, but the automaker warns that although it successfully navigated a turbulent 2022, 2023 could prove to be just as challenging.
Volvo Cars Corp. is a global automaker headquartered in Torslanda, Sweden, and owned by Chinese conglomerate Geely Holding Group. In recent years, Volvo has helped lead by example, taking some of the industries biggest strides in embracing electrification and carbon neutrality across its various marques and production processes on its way to becoming be a fully-electric brand by 2030.
2022 was a big year for the automaker. In addition to exploring new EV technologies like wireless charging, it has begun touting several models in its next all-electric wave. This past November, we got our first full look at the upcoming EX90, which Volvo is advertising as the safest vehicle it has ever built.
It will soon join Volvo’s other EVs on the sales sheet like the C40 and XC40, which both saw refreshes that included added range, improved charging speeds, and a new RWD powertrain option. We should also see what Volvo Cars is calling its smallest and cheapest EV model sometime this summer, alongside an electric minivan – although its unclear if that EV will make it to the US.
While Volvo’s arsenal of all electric options is sure to grow in 2023, its current EVs did much of the legwork in 2022 in helping the brand see its best sales to date. We will break down some of those numbers below as we look ahead to this coming fiscal year, one in which Volvo expresses could be a tough one.
Volvo Cars EV sales accounted for 18% of 2022 total
According to Volvo’s full year sales report for 2022, it has much to celebrate, and EVs were a huge part of its success. Revenue was $32 billion for the year, up 17% compared to 2021 and the highest ever recorded in the automaker’s near 100 year history.
Its operating income (EBIT) was around $2.2 billion (+10%). Excluding joint ventures and associates, however, Volvo’s EBIT was $1.7 billion, down nearly 16% compared to a year ago.
Volvo Cars points out that the true highlight of a trying year was its EV sales. Its numbers for fully-electric models were 11% of its total, more than doubling sales compared to 4% in 2021. A huge factor in this equation was Volvo’s Q4 EV sales, which reached their highest point ever at 18% compared to a mere 6% at the same point in 2021.
If you include Volvo’s entire Recharge lineup of BEVs and plug-in hybrids, it accounted for 33% of total sales and 41% in Q4 alone. The automaker has found a huge appetite for its EVs in Brazil, Uruguay, Thailand, and Indonesia where Recharge sales were 100% last quarter. Norway was 98%.
Those Recharge sales numbers helped Volvo reduce its overall CO2 emissions per vehicle by 15% as it looks to reach a 40% reduction per vehicle by 2025. Volvo Cars president and CEO Jim Rowan spoke:
We managed through the heavy turbulence of the year and made significant progress on our strategic ambitions in 2022, as we accelerated towards our aim to become a fully electric car company by the end of the decade and climate neutral by 2040.
Volvo admits it was plagued by supply chain constraints in 2022, particularly in the first half of the year. By the second half, the automaker explains it was able to bounce back and bolstered production by 15%. 2023 looks like it could be just as challenging for the automaker, but it remains optimistic:
While 2023 looks to be another challenging year, the company is hopeful that the COVID-related supply shortages from China are behind it and that it continues to see steady improvement in the supply of semiconductors. In addition, Volvo Cars is optimistic that the price of lithium will start to decline towards the end of the year, in line with many of the independent reports recently published. Despite the global turbulence, uncertainty and the recent price increases, Volvo Cars continues to see healthy demand for its cars. As ever, the company continues to closely monitor the external environment and adapt accordingly.
Looking ahead to 2023, Volvo Cars expects double digit sales growth while increasing the production volumes of its EVs. Just as long as there are no “unexpected supply chain disruptions.” Rowan once again spoke:
We have demonstrated in 2022 that we have turned up our execution engine. This will continue to deliver in 2023.
“Executive motor,” Jim. The word you’re looking for is “motor.”
On to 2023.
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On today’s battle-ready episode of Quick Charge, it’s Elon Musk vs. the world as big players position themselves for control of enough lithium to build 600 million electric cars and the rest of the industry squares up to Tesla in the battle for market leadership.
While Windrose is making sales and expanding into new markets, the Tesla Semi is still in limited tests, Robotaxi launches as a “ride hailing service” in California with randos in the drivers’ seat and Academy Award nominated actor/noted college football analyst Timothée Chalamet teams up with Lucid to steal (even more) sales from the embattled Model S and X lines.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec, the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure. Quick Charge listeners can get 10% off their next e-bike ride through August 14 with the exclusive code ELECTREK10 only at retrospec.com.
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EV charging company ezVOLTz has partnered with Driivz, the EV software arm of Vontier, to make its “Charging as a Service” platform even smarter and more reliable for fleets, businesses, and state and local governments across the US.
If you’re not familiar with ezVOLTz, it’s a full-service EV charging provider. It handles everything, from installing hardware-agnostic chargers to managing the backend with its software platform, ezCONNECT. Now, ezVOLTz is plugging into Driivz’s charging and energy management tech to help run things even more smoothly.
With Driivz’s help, ezVOLTz plans to keep its network humming with 24/7 monitoring and real-time issue detection. Driivz’s Alert Management System can auto-fix up to 80% of charger hiccups remotely without sending a tech on-site. That means more uptime and fewer headaches for drivers and site owners.
“EV adoption is surging, and drivers and the companies and entities that serve them need smart, connected, and reliable charging options,” said ezVOLTz CEO Sam Malhotra. “The Driivz team and their smart charging and energy management solutions are a natural fit in bolstering our services.”
The partnership also gives ezVOLTz new tools to grow its network. Driivz’s software tracks usage patterns and charger performance, helping pinpoint the best spots for new installations. Driivz will also support the ezVOLTz app, letting users plan road trips and find chargers nationwide.
“Reliability and ease-of-use are two of the most important considerations for EV drivers,” said Andrew Bennett, CEO of Driivz. “We’re proud to partner with ezVOLTz in delivering seamless and reliable charging to their customers.”
As more businesses, fleets, and municipalities plug into EVs, partnerships like this one aim to make sure the charging experience keeps up.
Read more: Driivz expands in the US EV charging market with a new HQ
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The Subaru BRZ may live on as an EV after all. Subaru wants its share of the sports car market, and an electric BRZ could hit the sweet spot.
Is Subaru launching an electric BRZ?
Subaru discontinued the BRZ in Europe in 2020 after the first generation. Although its twin, the Toyota GR86, was sold until the 2024 model year, the BRZ was released as a US-only model.
In its third generation, it could return as an EV. Speaking with Autocar, Subaru’s European head, David Dello Stritto, said, “Our options are open,” hinting that the BRZ could make a comeback in electric form.
Subaru’s global EV product boss, Inoue Masahiko, confirmed an electric version of the sports car “was under consideration.” He added that Subaru has extensively looked into an EV version of the BRZ with its partner, Toyota.
Masahiko explained that “We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GR86, but the win-win relationship is more important.” So far, “We can’t get the kind of benefits from both sides,” he added.
Subaru is already launching several new electric vehicles in Europe, including the new Uncharted, E-Outback (known as Trailseeker in the US), and an updated Solterra SUV.
Stritto said that an electric sports car will depend on the success of these models first, especially the Uncharted. According to Subaru’s European boss, the Japanese automaker feels “very positively about Subaru enthusiasts, but we need to see how Uncharted does first.”
As for an “electrified” powertrain, or hybrid, Masahiko said the vehicle’s packaging “would make it difficult,” adding an EV version would be “easier” to create.
The comments come after Stritto told Autocar last week that a new entry-level EV could also be in the works. However, that will also depend on how well the Uncharted sells.
For those in the US, don’t worry – Subaru is not planning to discontinue the BRZ. If it did launch as an EV, would you consider one? It would go up against the new Hyundai IONIQ 6 N and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
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