With production brakes off, Volvo edges closer to sales record

Volvo CEO Jim Rowan expects the automaker's full-year global sales to rise "more than 10 percent but not quite 20 percent." If the year-on-year increase is 12 percent or higher, Volvo will exceed its 2019 record total of 705,452 sales. Rowan says the keys to this year's success have been Volvo's strong order book and having a global production network that is no longer stalled by crises such as COVID-19 lockdowns and scarce microchips. A bright spot for Volvo has been growing demand for full-electric models such as the C40 compact crossover and its first small crossover, the EX30, which Rowan expects to provide "reasonably decent volumes" for the automaker next year. The CEO discussed this as well as Volvo's plan to offer car insurance with Automotive News Europe Managing Editor Douglas A. Bolduc.