Pause in EX90 builds due to parts shortage is a reminder of how fragile the car industry ecosystem can be
May 30, 2025 at 18:45
- Volvo has been forced to suspend production at its Ridgeville, SC plant.
- The pause is due to a shortage of unspecified parts for the EX90 SUV.
- Volvo recently announced it would cut 125 jobs at the same US facility.
You know when you think you’re having a bad day and then things suddenly get so much worse you wonder why you were so down in the first place? That’s Volvo right now. Already struggling with slow demand for its EVs and battling Trump’s constantly shifting tariff strategy, the Swedish brand has been forced to stop production of its new EX90 SUV due to a critical parts shortage.
Western-market versions of the electric EX90 are built at Volvo’s US facility in Ridgeville, South Carolina. But production is now on hold because of a disruption in the parts supply chain that brings back memories of the chaos automakers endured during Covid times, when a shortage of semiconductor chips forced many to pause production, or build cars minus some of the major tech features promised in advertising material.
Related: What’s Driving Thousands Of Job Cuts At Porsche And Volvo?
Volvo hasn’t replied to our inquiries about which components are in short supply, or how long the production hiatus will last. But customers awaiting delivery of the EX90 are being told to keep in contact with their dealer for updates on their order, Auto News reports.
The EX90 has already encountered a few production roadblocks in its short life. A planned debut in 2023 was pushed to 2024 due to a problem with its Lidar software code, and when the SUV did eventually arrive, its Lidar self-driving system still wasn’t operational, even though the hardware was installed.
Earlier this month Volvo confirmed it was cutting 125 staff from the Ridgeville plant’s 2,500-strong workforce because of the Trump administration’s fluctuating trade policies, tariffs and “changing market conditions,” which is code for slowing EV sales.
But the automaker says it still plans to eventually create 4,000 new jobs in SC. Volvo recently ended S90 sedan production there, so the site has plenty of spare capacity and could become a home for the XC60 and little EX30 electric SUV. New CEO Hakan Samuelsson warned last week that he could be forced to stop exports of the Belgium-built EX30 to the US unless the US and EU could reach a trade agreement that would reduce tariffs.
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