By Kimeko McCoy • September 24, 2025 •
Ivy Liu
President Donald Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” ends a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit at the end of this month, which could impact EV sales — not to mention economic headwinds and tariff effects on auto prices.
Through it all, Volvo is trying to grow its market share in the U.S. from 1 to 2% and push EV sales, according to Rafael Ugo, head of marketing at Volvo Car Americas. To do so, the global automotive brand is taking an offline, hyperlocal approach to its marketing strategy.
“We are seeing this transformation, this transition, being a little bit slower than what we thought years ago,” he said. “For us, I want to find the 2% that’s really to move from a gas to electric vehicle. Those customers, they’re already there in the market.”
For Volvo, that shift in money refers to the 30% of its ad budget that’s now going to brand awareness channels, including billboards, sponsorships, partnerships, influencers and in-person events. (Ugo did not provide exact spend figures.) It’s a move away from overdependence on a broad, national digital strategy to educate and convince shoppers to not just to buy a Volvo EV, but to make the case for EVs in general.
“We might need to focus on some of the states and areas that we believe we can make a big difference,” Ugo said. “We start shifting money around to focus on areas that make much more sense in terms of market, in terms of business opportunity, in terms of exporting culture and s