Volvo has just recorded its strongest ever sales for the first half of a year, rebounding strongly from the 2020 coronavirus slump to sell 380,757 cars globally. The previous record was set in 2019, where Volvo sold 340,826 units.

The Swedish carmaker’s sales between January and June increased 41% compared to the same period last year, when sales and production were majorly affected by national lockdowns globally. In the month of June itself, 68,224 cars globally, which is 11% more than it did the same month last year.

This is how the next-gen XC90 could look like, courtesy of Volvo Concept Recharge

According to Volvo, the overall increase in sales was driven by strong demand in China, US, and Europe, all of which reported a double-digit growth compared to the same period last year. The carmaker also reported a fivefold increase in cars sold online in the same period.

Of the 380,757 cars sold, Volvo’s line-up of the ‘Recharge’ electrified models accounted for 24.6% of the total figure – a nearly 150% increase from the previous year.

The next-gen Volvo XC60, rumoured for launch around 2026, will also be a fully-electric model

SUVs remain a popular choice by Volvo buyers, with the XC40 retaining the crown as the brand’s best-seller with 118,121 units sold, followed by the XC60 (113,500), and XC90 (54,177).

With a continued uptrend following its second-half sales record set in June-December 2020, Volvo is on course to break its overall annual sales record of 705,452 – a figure that was set in 2019.