Volvo Cars’ global sales performance remained strong in February, after the company posted 29.1 per cent growth for the first two months of the year compared with the same period last year.
Total sales during the period amounted to 110,383 cars, as the US, Europe and China reported a growth in volumes. The sales increase was driven by an ongoing recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in China compared to last year, a solid performance in the US market and increased sales in Sweden.
For the month of February, Volvo Cars sold a total of 50,795 cars, up 27.8 per cent compared with the same month last year, and the company’s best February sales performance ever.
Its Recharge line-up of chargeable models, with a fully electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain, continued to grow in popularity among customers and accounted for 26.6 per cent of all Volvo cars sold globally in February. In Europe, Recharge cars represented 44 per cent of the overall sales volume.
In China, Volvo Cars sold 29,243 cars in the first two months of the year, up 160.6 per cent year-on-year, as the company managed to more than recover lost sales due to Covid-19 shutdowns last year.
US sales continued to grow year-on-year and reached 17,315 cars in January and February, up 23.7 per cent compared with the same period last year. The strong increase was led by the brand’s premium SUVs, which accounted for 80 per cent of total sales.
The company’s European sales grew 5.5 per cent in the first two months of 2021, to 48,784 cars, compared with the same period last year, driven mainly by increased sales in Sweden.
A detailed break-up of regional sales is given below:
| February | January-February | |||||
| 2020 | 2021 | Change | 2020 | 2021 | Change | |
| Europe | 23,442 | 23,927 | 2.1% | 46,252 | 48,784 | 5.5% |
| China | 1,205 | 10,083 | 736.8% | 11,220 | 29,243 | 160.6% |
| US | 7,841 | 9,164 | 16.9% | 13,998 | 17,315 | 23.7% |
| Other | 7,254 | 7,621 | 5.1% | 14,024 | 15,041 | 7.3% |
| Total | 39,742 | 50,795 | 27.8% | 85,494 | 110,383 | 29.1% |
In February, the XC40 was the top-selling model, with sales of 15,818 cars (2020: 10,266), followed by the XC60 with total sales of 14,463 cars (9,774 units) and the Volvo XC90 with 6,808 cars (4,852 units).