Arrival of new Volvo model puts Ghent plant 'in very good shape'
The Volvo plant in Ghent “is in very good shape” thanks to the arrival of the EX30 model, according to CEO Geert Bruyneel. Volvo wants to start building the new model in Europe “as soon as possible” because Chinese import duties will apply from November.
Volvo has two factories in Europe, one in Torslanda in Sweden and one in Ghent, which will start building the EX30 from spring 2025. The plug-in car is a commercial success but currently comes from China.
The US market will also have to buy its EX30s in Ghent in the future, as the government applies even higher import tariffs for Chinese electric cars. Two Volvo electric models – the EX40 and EC40 – are already being built at the Belgian site.
“The Ghent team has taken up the [EX30] challenge and is working very hard to do it as soon as possible,” Bruyneel said in an interview with Belga. “But it has to be done with the right care and we obviously have to make sure it all fits together technically with our suppliers.”
"It’s very important that we can respond strategically to the big changes that may come"
If the Audi plant in Brussels closes, Volvo Car Gent will be the last car factory in Belgium. With more than 6,500 staff, it is one of the country’s leading industrial employers.
The factory is in a good place for the next few years, but the long-term future is hard to predict. “There are never any guarantees,” Bruyneel said. “In no factory and for no company. That is the reality. I think it’s very important that we can respond strategically to the big changes that may come.”
Chip technology is expected to continue to have a major impact on the automotive industry. Volvo began a partnership with chip maker NVidia this year and sees huge potential in the growth of self-driving vehicles.
Bruyneel: “The amount of data a car can process will eventually allow it to be autonomous and not have any more accidents. You will do everything in it that you do at home today. That will all become possible thanks to superchips.”
#FlandersNewsService | © The Volvo production site in Ghent, August 2023 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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