Electric car owners told not to 'charge above 70%' amid serious risk of battery fire

It stated that not all models are affected by the risk, and there have been no reports of related personal injuries.

In the statement, Volvo confirmed that it was treating the issue "very seriously", noting that the affected vehicles represented a very small number.

The brand stated: "Safety is a top priority for Volvo Cars, and while the number of reported incidents is very small, representing around 0.02 per cent of the cars we have identified as potentially affected."

A recall notice has been issued in Australia, with 2,815 Volvo EX30 models from the production year 2024 believed to be impacted.

It stated that a manufacturing issue was responsible for the cell modules installed in the high voltage battery potentially overheating at high charge levels.

The recall, filed with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, stated that a vehicle fire could occur.

It said: "A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders, and/or damage to property."

Motorists are being urged to keep the battery charge level below 70 per cent, which can be set under the "Charging" setting in the vehicle display.

Once a remedy is available for the issue, Volvo will contact affected drivers, requesting them to schedule a repair appointment.

As is standard practice with issues relating to a recall notice, drivers will not need to pay for the repairs.

Volvo told Auto Express: "Volvo Cars has identified a potential issue with high-voltage battery cells manufactured by a particular supplier on certain model year 2024-2026 EX30 Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance cars."

It confirmed that not all EX30 models are impacted, and that other Volvo cars are not involved.

The Volvo EX30 starts from £33,060, with an electric battery range of up to 295.8 miles and rapid charging speeds.

The EX30 has won a number of industry awards, as well as being handed a maximum five-star rating in the latest round of Euro NCAP safety testing.

Volvo's smallest SUV contains several crucial safety measures, including an advanced driver-alert system and an automatic brake intervention feature.

Commenting on the EX30, Åsa Haglund, the head of Volvo's Safety Centre, said: "While we always design our cars to be safe in the real world and not only to excel in safety ratings, this result underscores the strong safety credentials of the EX30.

"With the EX30, we have taken our city safety to the next level, by creating a small SUV that looks after you as well as other traffic participants on busy city streets."

The Swedish brand also announced recently that it would offer a £1,500 incentive to customers for the EX30 following the Government's introduction of the Electric Car Grant.