Swede taste of success for Volvo

By Kyle Roache

Last updated: Sep 28th 2023

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Volvo Cars sold just under 700,000 cars in 2021, despite the semiconductor shortage that blights manufacturers.

To be more precise, the 698,693 cars to roll out of Volvo factories was a 5.6% sales growth. Of that, electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain sales grew by 63.9% in 2021, compared to 2020, making up 27 per cent of Volvo's total sales volume.

Clicking into place

Volvo has been pioneering online sales, which grew by 316% in 2021 compared to 2020. However, it wasn't all good news – December's 64,426 sales were 18.1% less than 2020, which Volvo puts down to supply shortages. Almost 40 per cent of all Volvos bought in December were plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles, with fully electric vehicles making up 7.4%.

Focusing in

In Europe, more than 60% of sales were plug-in hybrids or fully electric, with 293,471 cars sold – an increase of 1.8% year on year. The XC60 was the most popular, with the XC40 a close second, while the XC90 trailed in third.