Volvo Cars saw a 5.5% drop in global sales for the period March to May 2026 compared to the same period last year, with its electric vehicles showing the only growth, its June 3 statement reported.
While total unit sales were 178,980 for the three-month period, that still represented an improvement on the earlier three-month period covering February to April 2026.
Also, EV sales rose 10% for the period and accounted for 23% of all cars sold for the period, while plug-in hybrid models accounted for 25%.
In the U.S., there are early signs of a recovery for both Volvo Cars and the auto industry in general, reflected in a gradual improvement in deliveries — and the pending arrival of Volvo’s EX60 midsize electric SUV.
However, the overall market still remains impacted by subdued demand for fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars following the termination of subsidies.
Sales in China remain under pressure, as overall industry volumes continued to decline in double digits for consecutive months. This is owing to the highly competitive industry landscape and challenging macro environment, Volvo said in its statement.
“Despite all the external challenges, we continue to grow in Europe through electrification,” said Erik Severinson, chief commercial officer at Volvo Cars. “Overall, deliveries of our fully electric cars grew for the eighth consecutive month, driven by the strong demand for the EX30 and EX40 electric SUVs in Europe.”
