7:15 am, August 18, 2026
The new wave of Chinese brands are ‘formidable’ but Volvo’s managing director says they ‘can’t suddenly catch up’ on the Swedish outfit’s century of experience.
Nicole Melillo Shaw spoke exclusively to Car Dealer at the recent launch of the new EX60 electric SUV, where she said that operating during ‘turbulent times’ meant having ‘a point of difference and really leaning into that’.
‘As Erik Severinson, [Chief Commercial Officer at Volvo] has said, we are a brand with 100 years’ experience, which you can’t suddenly catch up on,’ she explained.
‘You’d rather have that experience navigating through turbulent times. It stands for something. It’s different; we’re evolving. We’re evolving while also being proud of where we’ve come from as well.
‘Nobody is resting on their laurels at the moment at all because you can’t afford to; you have to fight for every single customer, which is good for the end user.’
Volvo currently sits at a 3% market share in the UK, and Melillo Shaw says that ‘everybody is working doubly, trebly hard to get there and to maintain that or increase’.
‘We talk very openly about profitable growth and we shouldn’t be afraid about using that term because that’s what every business should be striving to deliver,’ she said.
However, Melillo Shaw ruled out the introduction of any grants on its electric cars – a tactic used by many manufacturers which don’t qualify for the government’s Electric Car Grant.
She added: ‘We looked at the grants and obviously the market and the dynamics that have gone on with pricing, and then we made sure we were still competitive.’