Volvo joins Tesla in halting EV production due to Red Sea attacks

Volvo has joined Tesla in stopping its EV production in Europe due to the threat of violence from Iran-backed Houthi fighters attacking commercial ships traveling in the Red Sea.

As Electrek reported yesterday, Tesla has halted its Berlin gigafactory for about two weeks, from January 29 to February 11, due to a lack of components as a result of a Red Sea blockade.

Tesla and Volvo are among several companies having to direct ships away from the Red Sea amid the threat of attacks, Automotive News Europe reports.

What’s happening is that Iran-backed Houthis have declared a blockade on the Bab al-Mandeb strait in response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The group has stated its intentions to attack any commercial ships traveling through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. Since October, the group has attacked several commercial vessels with drones and ballistic missiles and seized what they said was an Israeli cargo ship, reports the BBC. Attacks in the Red Sea have jumped 500% in the past month, with now companies taking extreme measures to avoid risk.

Global shipping companies, in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, have had to redirect or halt shipping altogether. Turning ships south to travel around Africa takes much longer than cutting through the Suez Canal. Rerouting adds 10 days and $1 million in fuel costs to a journey from Asia to Europe, Reuters reports.

Volvo said it would halt production at its factory in Ghent, Belgium, for three days after rerouting ships to avoid potential violence. That has delayed the delivery of gearboxes, a Volvo spokesperson told Automotive News Europe. The Ghent factory currently builds its fully electric XC40 and C40, with the EX30 EV added next year. Production and deliveries coming from its other European plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, are not affected.

Volvo has said that it doesn’t see the disruption impacting its production targets and that it doesn’t expect to see “significant” restrictions due to the Red Sea blockade.

Meanwhile, tensions are escalating with US and UK airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Reuters reports.

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Volvo has joined Tesla in stopping its EV production in Europe due to the threat of violence from Iran-backed Houthi fighters attacking commercial ships traveling in the Red Sea.

As Electrek reported yesterday, Tesla has halted its Berlin gigafactory for about two weeks, from January 29 to February 11, due to a lack of components as a result of a Red Sea blockade.

Tesla and Volvo are among several companies having to direct ships away from the Red Sea amid the threat of attacks, Automotive News Europe reports.

What’s happening is that Iran-backed Houthis have declared a blockade on the Bab al-Mandeb strait in response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The group has stated its intentions to attack any commercial ships traveling through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. Since October, the group has attacked several commercial vessels with drones and ballistic missiles and seized what they said was an Israeli cargo ship, reports the BBC. Attacks in the Red Sea have jumped 500% in the past month, with now companies taking extreme measures to avoid risk.

Global shipping companies, in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, have had to redirect or halt shipping altogether. Turning ships south to travel around Africa takes much longer than cutting through the Suez Canal. Rerouting adds 10 days and $1 million in fuel costs to a journey from Asia to Europe, Reuters reports.

Volvo said it would halt production at its factory in Ghent, Belgium, for three days after rerouting ships to avoid potential violence. That has delayed the delivery of gearboxes, a Volvo spokesperson told Automotive News Europe. The Ghent factory currently builds its fully electric XC40 and C40, with the EX30 EV added next year. Production and deliveries coming from its other European plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, are not affected.

Volvo has said that it doesn’t see the disruption impacting its production targets and that it doesn’t expect to see “significant” restrictions due to the Red Sea blockade.

Meanwhile, tensions are escalating with US and UK airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Reuters reports.

If you’re an electric vehicle owner, charge up your car at home with rooftop solar panels. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing on solar, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here.