The comprehensive transformation of the Volvo Car Factory in Ghent, aimed at enabling the production of the fully electric EX30, is almost complete.
The first EX30 is set to roll off the production line at the end of April.
The upgrades to the battery plant, body shop, welding department, and assembly hall represent an investment of €200 million.
One of the major changes occurred in the welding department, which was expanded by 40,000 square metres, nearly doubling its size.
A total of 580 robots will be used, 420 of them new and 160 refurbished.
For the first time, door assembly will take place in Ghent, whereas previously it was completed in Sweden: Volvo is focusing on local production.
“This aligns with our strategy to build cars where we sell them and source components locally,” a Volvo representative explained.
The decision to produce in Ghent is strategic, as 80% of the EX30 output is destined for the European market. Units to be exported to the United States will also be manufactured in Ghent. The EX30 produced in China has not yet been offered in the US.
By 2025, Volvo Car Ghent aims to produce 30,000 EX30 vehicles annually.
Factory director Stefan Fesser described the transformation as a race against time. “We had to adjust part of the body shop and the battery plant and integrate new areas,” he said. “The usual implementation time for such a transformation was halved by conducting processes in parallel that were previously done sequentially."
“Using Virtual Reality, we could simulate the new equipment in advance and knew exactly what needed to be changed before making modifications in the factory. This significantly shortened the implementation time,” Fesser added.
On Monday afternoon, the press was given an extensive tour of the revamped factory, where the various upgrades and the EX30 production process were explained.
