Battery Problem That Can Burn, Volvo Withdraws EX30

The production process of the Volvo EX30. (Photo: Volvo)

JAKARTA - The shocking news comes from the Volvo Car Group, which is owned by China's Geely Holding. The brand has begun to recall vehicles globally due to concerns about the safety of batteries supplied by Chinese manufacturer Sunwoda Electronic.

Citing the Carnewschina website, Tuesday, January 13, this recall occurred shortly after another Geely subsidiary filed a major lawsuit against Sunwoda regarding battery quality issues.

According to local media reports, Volvo has confirmed that 10,440 EX30 vehicles in the UK market are affected by a potential safety hazard in Sunwoda high-voltage batteries.

This is part of a wider issue involving 33,777 EX30 vehicles manufactured with Sunwoda battery cells, of which about 0.02 percent of cells were reported to experience overheating.

The situation became more urgent after a Volvo EX30 caught fire at a dealer in Maceió, Brazil in November 2025. The vehicle was completely destroyed, requiring 11 firefighters and four fire trucks to put out the fire.

In response, Volvo has issued urgent warnings to owners in markets including the UK, US, Australia and South Africa, instructing them to limit charging to 70 percent of capacity to reduce the risk of fires while a comprehensive recall plan is being prepared.

Meanwhile, in South Africa has announced a recall affecting 372 Volvo EX30 vehicles, including the 2024-2026 model year versions of single-motor extended range and dual-motor performance.

According to Volvo South Africa, this recall addresses a potential defect in the high-voltage battery which, in rare cases, can cause overheating when charged to a high level, resulting in a risk of thermal runaway and potential fire.

On December 26, 2025, Viridi E-Mobility Technology, a Geely subsidiary responsible for the battery system, filed a lawsuit against Sunwoda. The lawsuit alleges quality defects in the battery cells supplied between June 2021 and December 2023.