Volvo cars aims for environmental leadership in the premium
segment
Environmental care has top priority
• Volvo aims to be one of the environmental leaders in the
premium segment
• Innovative technology makes Volvo cars Clean Inside and Out
Environmental leadership means setting
priorities. Volvo has a tradition of environmental care, of
providing environmental alternatives today and of dedication
to future commitments. This holistic approach gives Volvo
Cars an excellent position in the quest for
environmental leadership in the future.
“Thirty percent of Volvo’s car buyers associate Volvo with
the expression “pollution prevention”. It is this foundation
on which we will continue to build. Our aim is to be ranked
as one of the absolute leaders in the premium segment when
it comes to environmentally sound mobility”, says Hans-Olov
Olsson, President and CEO of the Volvo Car Corporation.
Sustainable mobility has top priority on the Volvo Car
Corporation’s agenda for the future.
“Our commitment to safe mobility needs to be enlarged from the
protection of occupants and other road users in collisions
to include personal health for all road users and to offer
them sustainable mobility solutions”, says Hans-Olov Olsson.
Volvo Cars’ environmental tradition
Volvo has long maintained that although the car contributes
greatly to the socio-economic development of society, it is
not without side-effects. Already in 1972, we stated that
“cars produce pollution, noise and waste”. The Volvo Car
Corporation also has a long tradition of developing safety
and environmental milestones. Volvo introduced the three-way
catalytic converter with Lambda sensor in 1976 – an
innovation many people consider to be at least as important
to the environment as the safety belt has been to safety.
Since then, Volvo Cars has introduced several important
innovations that help alleviate the impact of its products
on the environment.
The major environmental challenges
Today we want to concentrate on three major challenges:
• Global warming, attributed to society’s emissions of
greenhouse gases, is becoming one of the biggest
environmental concerns of our time. For this reason,
reducing emissions of carbon dioxide – a major greenhouse
gas – is the biggest environmental challenge now facing the
automotive industry.
• Pollution – especially in our towns and cities – is the
second challenge to the industry as poor air quality has
adverse effects on human health.
• The third issue is to provide better mobility in urban
areas, where congestion in some cities has become a
day-to-day burden for road users.
The solutions
Many people think that the solution from car manufacturers
should be futuristic in order to make a difference. Volvo
Cars is convinced that advanced technology is necessary but
creating good solutions today is equally important.
“In order to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a
greenhouse gas, Volvo Cars believes that in the short term,
biogas, a renewable fuel produced from organic material,
provides many environmental benefits”, says Anders Kärrberg,
Environmental Director at Volvo Car Corporation.
“Volvo Cars sees a future where several solutions are
possible. We are researching bio-fuels and hybrids as
alternatives”, Kärrberg continues.
Volvo Cars has also launched the Volvo 3CC concept car, an
attractive and environmentally efficient small car. The
Volvo 3CC is a study of possible future sustainable mobility
solutions. Developed in California at the Volvo Monitoring
and Concept Center, its unique design provides enough space
for three adults or two adults and two children. (The 3CC is
described in detail in another part of this press material.)
“In order to reduce the problem of ground-level ozone, most
of Volvo’s models are equipped with PremAir®. Furthermore,
Volvo offers PZEV engines, which meet one of the world’s
toughest emissions standards – the one applied in several US
states”, says Anders Kärrberg.
Methane – a fuel for today and tomorrow
Volvo Cars has developed methane-driven cars which are
highly efficient in environmental terms. Carbon dioxide
emissions from a Volvo Bi-Fuel model running on Compressed
Natural Gas (CNG) are about 25 percent lower than those from
a petrol engine. A car running on the other methane
alternative, biogas, contributes virtually nothing to the
global warming problem caused by greenhouse gases. Bi-Fuel
cars can also be driven on petrol as a back-up.
These cars have the same characteristics as other Volvo cars
– they are equally safe and spacious and deliver the same
performance – but with much improved environmental
performance in terms of greenhouse gas emissions!
PremAir®
Ground-level ozone is formed when nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbons generated by traffic and other sources are
exposed to sunlight. Together with other photochemical
oxidants in the air, the ozone forms what is commonly known
as smog. The problem is greater in the summertime,
particularly in the world’s major cities.
Volvo Cars was the first car maker in the world to
commercialise the technology known as PremAir®*. PremAir® is
a special catalytic coating that is applied to the radiator
and converts ground-level ozone into pure oxygen as the car
is driven. Studies have shown that up to 75 percent of the
ozone that passes through the radiator is converted into
oxygen in this way.
* PremAir® is a trademark of Engelhard Corporation
PZEV – Partial Zero Emission Vehicles
PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicles) – one of the world’s
toughest emission control standards – is in force in certain
American states. Although running on regular petrol,
emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from cars with
PZEV engines are extremely low. The new Volvo S40, VolvoV50,
Volvo S60 and Volvo V70 are now available with PZEV engines
in these states.
Safe and healthy interior
The interior of a Volvo is designed to be healthy and safe –
even for people with asthma and contact allergies.
Particular attention has been paid to the use of
environmentally compatible materials. The interior also
complies with the Oeko-Tex 100 ecological standard – a major
step towards a healthier in-car environment. Oeko-Tex
certification covers components such as fabrics, threads,
carpets and safety belts. In addition, the leather used in
the upholstery is treated in a chromium-free tanning process
based on natural plant extracts, and thus also meets the
Oeko-Tex requirements. Other components such as the
handbrake button, load anchoring eyebolts, Space Ball and
steering wheel badge are tested for contact allergens and
meet the EU directive for nickel leakage from jewellery.
Interior Air Quality System (IAQS)
Volvo Cars works systematically to create a healthy
passenger compartment environment. A cabin filter helps
prevent dust, particulates and pollen from entering the
interior through the ventilation system. All Volvos can also
be equipped with an interior air quality system, IAQS. This
consists of an electronic sensor that monitors the amount of
carbon monoxide in the incoming air and closes the air
intakes if the level becomes too high, for example in dense
city traffic, traffic tailbacks and tunnels. A combined
filter with an activated carbon element helps protect the
occupants from virtually all unpleasant odors caused, for
example, by petrol and diesels exhaust fumes, washer fluid
and oil. The combined filter also reduces occupant exposure
to gases such as nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone and
hydrocarbons.
Partnerships and society’s commitments
No single car maker can alter global environmental trends.
We have to cooperate to get the best results. Volvo Cars
operates as part of an international network of public
agencies, researchers, manufacturers and other commercial
interests to minimize existing environmental problems and
help prevent future problems. The purpose of this
cooperation is to identify new technical solutions and to
inform customers on how environmental impact can be reduced.
It is the automotive industry’s job to build clean
cars. But a cleaner society is something we can only build
together. As part of its contribution, Volvo Cars is
participating in a number of partnerships and societal
projects.
EPI – Environmental Product Information
Volvo Environmental Product Information is a unique database
which enables the car buyer to assess the lifetime
environmental impact of a car and compare different Volvo
models and powertrains.
For more
information, please visit:
www.volvocars.com/militarysales
High-tech
3.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine finds its way into new
refined Volvo XC90
•
Refined and more car like design
•
Upgraded interior
•
Sharper powertrain range with new,
highly advanced 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine
•
Focus on driver control including new
Park Assist Camera
•
World-class audio system with Dynaudio
speakers and Dolby Pro Logic II
•
50 percent of total sales in the USA
The
new XC90 is intended to strengthen Volvo Cars’ position in a
SUV market that received the first XC90 generation with
standing ovations. Story
Volvo
Car Corporation, Accessories - Wireless hands-free function in
Volvo cars with Bluetooth® and a mobile telephone
• Automatic connection to the car’s
loudspeaker system
• The system recognizes up to four different telephones
• Easy to switch between hands-free and telephone
• Voice dialing promotes traffic safety
It
is now possible to connect a Bluetooth-capable mobile
telephone to a Volvo car’s audio and loud-speaker system –
totally wirelessly. With the help of the new accessory Volvo
Hands-free with Bluetooth®, a mobile telephone becomes an
integrated hands-free system with voice dialing.
Volvo
Hands-free with Bluetooth® can be fitted in most late-model
Volvo cars. The system consists of an electronic control
module, a module with function buttons, a dedicated microphone
located near the rear-view mirror, and the necessary wiring. The
mobile telephone used must be Bluetooth-capable. Once a paired
link has been set up with the car’s Bluetooth module,
the telephone is recognized and connected automatically when
the owner enters the car. Story
Volvo
Models Best in Interior Air Quality According to New Study
An independent survey carried out by the Ecology Center in
Detroit shows that the interiors of Volvo’s cars emit lower
levels of toxic substances than other car makes.
The Ecology Center recently
presented a study (Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars &
the Need for Safe Alternatives) of the toxic chemicals used in
building car interiors. Flame retardant PBDE and phthalates,
whose main use is as a softener in plastics, were included in
the study. These chemical substances can migrate from plastics
and textiles, particularly at high temperatures. The car’s
occupants may thus be exposed to these substances, for
instance through the respiratory system. Certain types of
phthalates and flame retardants can for instance promote
genetic mutations and can subject car occupants to health
hazards. The survey reveals that the concentrations of PBDE in
dust and on the windscreen are up to five times higher than in
the homes of most people, and since many people today spend a
lot of time in their cars, car interiors thus have a
significant effect on human health. For
More
Volvo
iPod Adapter - Volvo opens up to iPod users
Now it
will be possible for iPod users to plug their entire music
archive into their Volvo’s audio system. Together with
supplier PhatNoise Inc and Apple, Volvo Cars has developed an
adapter kit for installation in the Volvo S80 from model year
1999 on and in the S60, V70 and XC70 from model year 2001.
iPod is the world's number one digital music
player and allows music lovers to carry their entire music
collection with them on the go.
Now with the Volvo iPod Adapter, they can play their music in
their Volvo.
Volvo
Seats Get Top Scores in 2006 Thatcham Whiplash Tests
Once again, Volvo has
achieved top scores in the latest, 2006 model year new car
whiplash ratings by the UK's Motor Insurance Repair Research
Centre in Thatcham¹ which conducted the tests on behalf of
the International Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group (IIWPG).
In
fact, Volvo was one of only two manufacturers to achieve top
'Good' scores for every model tested² thanks to its
supportive seats which have a fixed head restraint position to
ensure they are always in the correct position to offer the
best support, and the Volvo Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
that moves the entire backrest to absorb the impact during a
rear-end collision to help reduce the forces on the neck.
Story
