STOCKHOLM, July 17 (Reuters) - Sweden's Volvo Cars on Friday reported a decline ‌in profits for the second quarter ‌compared with the first three months while the automaker hopes ​to speed up its recovery with deliveries of the new EX60 electric model in the time ahead.

The company, majority-owned by ‌China's Geely Holding, ⁠posted an operating profit of 800 million Swedish crowns ($82,76 million) for ⁠the April to June period, lagging the 1.6 billion reported in the first ​quarter this ​year.

Volvo Cars said ​it still expects its ‌earnings margins to receive a boost in the second half of this year as the output of the new flagship EX60 SUV fully ramps up.

"Volvo Cars expects ‌significantly stronger sales during ​the second half of ​the year ​compared to the first half, on ‌the back of growth ​in Europe, ​a continued recovery in the U.S. and a challenging China market," Volvo ​Cars CEO ‌Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.

($1 = 9.6661 ​Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Marie Mannes, ​editing by Terje Solsvik)