The Volvo Cars Ghent, Belgium manufacturing plant has started production of the fully electric EX30 small SUV. The Ghent plant will also start production of the EX30 Cross Country later in the year. Volvo Cars continues to further diversify its global manufacturing footprint for one of its most popular models and expands production capacity to better meet local demand.

The addition of the EX30 to the Ghent production line will result in around 350 new jobs at the plant, bringing total employment to almost 6,600 people.

To make EX30 production possible in Ghent, the company made investments worth around €200 million in its Belgian facility in recent years. Wide-ranging changes to the plant include the addition of a completely new car platform, the installation of almost 600 new or refurbished robots, an extension of the battery hall, a new door production line as well as a new battery pack assembly line.

Between the Ghent, Belgium and Torslanda, Sweden plants, Volvo Cars now produces 10 different electric and hybrid car models in Europe.

Located on the outskirts of Belgium’s third-largest city and in the heart of its North Sea port area, Volvo Cars’ factory in Ghent opened its doors in 1965 and is the only remaining fully developed car factory in Belgium. Together with the Torslanda plant, it is one of two car manufacturing plants operated by Volvo Cars in Europe, with a third under construction in Slovakia.

Apart from the EX30, the Ghent plant also builds other electrified models—the fully electric EX40 and EC40 as well as the XC40 and V60 hybrid models. In 2024, it built a little more than 186,000 cars.