Following a notification from Volvo Car South Africa, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued a recall notice for 372 Volvo EX30 vehicles locally.
The recall affects certain Volvo EX30 single motor extended range and twin motor performance models from the 2024 to 2026 model years. The vehicles were sold from 29 December 2025 in Gauteng.
According to Volvo Car South Africa, the recall is linked to a potential defect in the high-voltage battery. In rare instances, the battery may overheat when charged to a high level, which could lead to a thermal event and pose a fire risk.
As a precautionary measure, owners of affected vehicles have been advised to limit the maximum charge level of their cars to 70% until a permanent fix is implemented.
“Consumers are urged to take this recall seriously and arrange for the necessary inspection and repair at their nearest authorised dealerships. All corrective work relating to this recall will be carried out at no cost to the consumer,” NCC says in a statement.
According to GreenCape, a not-for-profit company that drives the widespread adoption of economically viable green economy solutions in Africa, the local EV market continues to grow, albeit from a low base. It notes that the growth is largely driven by improving technology capabilities, reduced cost of batteries and increased demand for carbon emission reduction.
Meanwhile, WeBuyCars CEO Faan van der Walt told ITWeb that EV demand in SA remains weak, primarily because the country does not offer the subsidies seen in many other markets.
He pointed out that on a like-for-like basis, EVs are significantly more expensive than their conventional counterparts, which discourages buyers.
“Some manufacturers have learnt that the hard way and they are sitting with stock they are trying to move. The uptake of electric vehicles has not been there.”
He said the only EVs that have gained market share are hybrids, mainly petrol/electric hybrid vehicles and plug-ins.
“These make a more compelling case because you can use it for longer trips and it’s something that we are more used to, especially in periods that you might have load-shedding where the electric car doesn’t make a compelling case.”
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