The recall of 10,500 electric Volvo vehicles in Britain due to batteries potentially catching fire is "scary", the manufacturer's UK chief has acknowledged. Volvo UK managing director Nicole Melillo Shaw said a "tiny percentage" of its EX30 SUVs have caught fire globally.
Ms Melillo Shaw told the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast: "I completely empathise with anyone who's experienced this. We have a proportion of our EX30 cars that have had risk of catching fire when they've been charged beyond 70%.
"So as a safety brand and safety being our top priority, we have advised customers not to charge beyond 70% until we find a fix. I appreciate it's quite scary to hear that message."
Ms Melillo Shaw acknowledged it is "very inconvenient" to only charge up to 70%.
She continued: "We've been working really hard and quickly to get to a solution, which we now have. We found the root cause and I expect next week to be able to get those cars in and start to fix them.
"We are going to contact the customers who've had that issue to then look at how we fix the battery modules."
She was unable to provide a timeframe for when the vehicles will be repaired. Ms Melillo Shaw noted there had been "no fatalities" from the fires and stated there were "significantly fewer electric cars that catch fire than petrol".
The manufacturer has confirmed it will contact all affected owners. People can also get in touch with their local Volvo dealership or the manufacturer to verify whether their vehicle is impacted.
Volvo has established a recall page with additional information and a verification tool. You will not be required to pay anything related to the recall.
A statement on the UK Government's recalls site read: "Volvo Cars is confident that limiting the battery's maximum state of charge to 70% will eliminate the risk of overheating. Additionally, we would advise the following precautions.
"Do not leave your vehicle unattended while charging within buildings or covered areas. If you see any vehicle warnings in the car or app during or after charging, seek assistance. Currently, the investigation is still ongoing with the final service solution being developed."
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