The Australian government has issued an urgent safety recall for nearly 3,000 Volvo EX30 electric vehicles, warning drivers of a serious fire risk linked to the car's battery.
Urgent Safety Warning for EV Owners
The federal Department of Transport issued the recall notice for Volvo EX30 models sold in Australia during 2024. The action affects 2,815 motorists across the country. Authorities have identified a manufacturing fault within the high-voltage battery of the small SUV, which can cause the cell modules to overheat when charged to high levels.
The official recall notice states: "Due to a manufacturing issue, the cell modules installed in the high voltage battery may overheat at high charge levels." This overheating presents a significant fire hazard.
Immediate Action: Keep Charge Below 70%
While Volvo develops a permanent fix, owners are being instructed to take immediate precautionary measures. The key directive is to limit the battery's state of charge to below 70%. Drivers can continue using their vehicles but must ensure they do not perform a full charge.
Most modern EVs, including the EX30, allow drivers to set a maximum charging limit via the vehicle's touchscreen menu—a feature owners are now strongly advised to utilise. The recall notice confirms that once a remedy is available, Volvo will contact affected customers to schedule a free repair.
Global Issue for Volvo's Popular EV
This is not an isolated incident for Australia. The Swedish automaker began alerting drivers in other nations about the same battery fault in late December 2023 and early January 2024, with a similar recall issued in South Africa.
In the UK, Volvo released a statement clarifying that the issue does not affect all EX30 models and emphasised that the number of incidents is very low. "Safety is a top priority for Volvo Cars, and while the number of reported incidents is very small, representing around 0.02% of the cars we have identified as potentially affected, and we have no reports of related personal injuries, we are treating it very seriously," the company said.
The recall impacts one of Australia's top-selling electric brands. According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the Volvo EX30 was the 14th highest-selling electric car in the country in 2025, highlighting the scale of the safety campaign.
