• Q1 2022's global sales is down 20.1 percent due to parts shortage
• BEVs make up 7.9 percent, more than half sold in Europe
• BEV sales in China is up 165 percent but volume is still too low, less than 500 units

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) now make up 7.9 percent (11,721 units) of Volvo Cars’ global sales in the first quarter of 2022, up 9 percent from last year.

Europe contributed 64.8 percent of the company’s BEV sales, followed by USA (14.1 percent).

Although China is the world’s biggest EV market, and despite the fact that the Volvo XC40 EV and electric-only Volvo C40 are made in China, Volvo remains under-represented in China’s EV market, selling just 435 units there between January to March 2022.

Including plug-in hybrids (38,053 units), electrified vehicles now make up 33.6 percent of the company’s global sales.

Volvo Cars sold 148,295 cars in the first quarter of 2022, down 20.1 percent from the same 3-month period last year due to shortage in semiconductor parts.

Sales in its most important China market fell 21.1 percent to 35,698 cars while Europe is down 25.6 percent to 65,157 cars. Sales in USA is down 16.5 percent to 22,757 cars.

The Volvo XC60 is the company’s best-selling model, followed by the XC40 and XC90 - 16,855 units, 17,584 units and 9,141 units but only for March 2022. Volvo didn’t provide the cumulative sales figures for the models for Q1 2022.

Closer to home, Volvo Car Malaysia has just announced that the locally-assembled (CKD) 2022 Volvo XC40 EV will be priced at RM 262,460, undercutting the imported (CBU) Mercedes-Benz EQA's RM 278,201. Prices are valid until 30-June 2022.

The facelifted XC40 EV that is currently on sale elsewhere will only be launched here next year but before that, the lower roof coupe-style Volvo C40 will be launched in Malaysia by year-end. 

Also read: Volvo C40 EV to launch in Malaysia this year; CKD planned