KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 9): Volvo Car Malaysia closed its 2022 with a record high sales of 3,194 units — up 43% from the previous year — marking its seventh consecutive year of sales growth.

The final month of December was also its most successful month of the year, as it sold more than 395 units, according to a statement from the automotive company.

Its sales growth during the year was spurred by the launch of its first two locally-assembled electric vehicles or EVs — Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric and Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric.

Launched in March, the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric was an “astounding success, with the company still fulfilling deliveries of cars with a healthy order bank ongoing for the year 2023”, said Volvo, while the Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric has seen “encouraging responses from buyers, with more than 100 cars ordered online just 10 days after its launch on Dec 14”.

Both cars, assembled in the company’s manufacturing plant in Shah Alam, are the first two locally-assembled pure electric vehicles sold in Malaysia, according to Volvo Car Malaysia.

“The launches of our first two locally-assembled electric vehicles have been the catalysts of our sales growth. With an increased market share of our fully electric vehicles globally, we are optimistic the same will apply in Malaysia. In ending a successful 2022, we are excited to drive an all-electric future, as we reinforce our commitment to offer Malaysians freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way,” said Volvo Car Malaysia managing director Charles Frump in a statement.

The company is on track to becoming a fully electric vehicle company by 2030, and is aiming for 75% of its sales to come from its Recharge Pure Electric line-up by 2025.

Volvo Cars’ total global sales for 2022, meanwhile, totalled 615,121 units, as the group was unavoidably affected by challenges across the supply chain and production restraints caused by component shortages and Covid-related lockdowns.

“Despite this, the demand for Volvo cars remained steadfast with the sales of the overall Recharge lineup, with Pure Electric and Plug-in hybrid powertrains reaching 43.8% in December 2022, whereby fully electric cars accounted for 20.1% of global sales for the same month,” the statement further read.