Almost 3,000 Australian electric vehicle drivers have been issued an urgent safety directive, warning them not to fully charge their cars due to a serious fire risk.
Government Issues Formal Recall Notice
The Australian federal transport department has issued an official recall notice for the Volvo EX30 electric SUV models sold during 2024. The action affects a total of 2,815 motorists across the country.
The recall identifies a critical manufacturing fault within the high-voltage battery. According to the notice, "cell modules installed in the high voltage battery may overheat at high charge levels," creating a potential fire hazard.
Immediate Safety Instructions for Owners
While Volvo develops a permanent solution, owners are being instructed to continue using their vehicles but to strictly limit the battery's state of charge. The official guidance states: "Until a remedy is made available, owners should keep the battery charge level below 70%."
Drivers can manually set this maximum charging limit via their vehicle's on-screen infotainment system. Volvo has confirmed that once a fix is ready, all affected owners will be contacted to schedule a free repair at an authorised service centre.
Global Context and Volvo's Response
This is not an isolated incident for the Swedish automaker. Volvo began alerting drivers in other nations, including the United Kingdom and South Africa, about the same battery fault in late December 2023 and early January 2024.
In a statement addressing the UK situation, Volvo emphasised that safety was a top priority. The company noted that the issue does not affect all EX30 models and that reported incidents are extremely rare, representing roughly 0.02% of potentially affected cars. Crucially, there have been no reports of related injuries.
The recall presents a significant challenge for Volvo's electric ambitions in Australia, where it is a top-selling EV brand. The EX30 was ranked as the 14th highest-selling electric car in the country for 2025, according to industry data.
