Volvo Cars sold 141,656 cars worldwide between August and October 2026, 16 per cent fewer than in the same three months last year. Sales of its fully electric models went the other way and rose 27 per cent. Weak demand in China and the US explains most of the fall, while Europe’s move towards electric cars helped offset it.
Volvo Cars’ latest rolling three-month figures show two different trends. Total sales fell from 168,967 cars in August–October 2025 to 141,656 in the same period this year. Over the same months, the Swedish manufacturer sold more fully electric cars than a year earlier. Those models now make up about a third of its global sales.
Electric models grow as the rest of the range shrinks
Volvo Cars sold 48,660 fully electric cars in the period, up from 38,391 a year earlier. That is a 27 per cent increase, and these cars made up 34 per cent of all sales. Plug-in hybrids went the opposite way: sales fell 30 per cent to 28,857 units, and their share dropped to 20 per cent.
Together, the two electrified groups totalled 77,517 cars, down 3 per cent from 79,685. The company says they made up 55 per cent of everything it sold in the three months. Mild hybrids and conventional combustion-engined models fell more steeply, by 28 per cent from 89,282 to 64,139 units.
The electrified share has risen well above the full-year 2025 figure. Volvo Cars sold more than 710,000 cars last year, and 46 per cent of them were electrified.
China and the US weigh on volumes
According to the company, the fall in overall sales reflects difficult conditions in two of its largest regions. In China, demand is being held back by growing competition from local manufacturers and a weak economy. In the US, Volvo Cars cites record-low consumer sentiment and the removal of incentives for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, both of which hurt demand.
Europe looks different. The manufacturer says the region continues to move faster towards electrification, which has driven strong demand for its fully electric models.
A different plan for each region
Erik Severinson, Chief Commercial Officer at Volvo Cars, described how the company is responding in each market:
“In China, we are adapting to lower demand and focusing on stabilising the business rather than chasing volumes,” said Erik Severinson, Chief Commercial Officer at Volvo Cars. “In the US, we are focusing on our updated mild- and plug-in hybrid portfolio. In Europe, underlying demand for our fully electric cars remains strong, particularly for the EX60, with orders already exceeding 50,000 cars. Deliveries are currently impacted by the ongoing production ramp-up, but we are steadily improving built volumes.”
What it means
The numbers show a manufacturer whose sales increasingly depend on the region. Europe’s shift to electric cars is helping Volvo Cars meet its stated goal of becoming a fully electric car maker. In the US, the loss of purchase incentives has pushed the company back towards its hybrid models, and in China it is choosing stability over volume. The EX60 order bank of more than 50,000 cars points to strong underlying demand. How much of that appears in future sales figures depends on how quickly production can be increased.
Facts: Volvo Cars sales, August–October 2026
- Total: 141,656 cars (2025: 168,967), −16%
- Electrified models: 77,517 (2025: 79,685), −3%
- Fully electric: 48,660 (2025: 38,391), +27%; 34% of total sales
- Plug-in hybrid: 28,857 (2025: 41,294), −30%; 20% of total sales
- Mild hybrid/ICE: 64,139 (2025: 89,282), −28%
- EX60 orders: more than 50,000 cars
According to the company, EX60 deliveries are currently limited by the production ramp-up, and built volumes are steadily improving.
Source: news.cision.com