Being conscious of the environment is something Volvo Cars has been doing for quite some time now. From the design of their cars up until the production stage, Volvo strives to keep on being committed to the environment. For car makers all over the globe, one of the greatest challenges they are still facing is how to keep up with helping in solving the environmental problems of today. Reducing fuel consumption is an example. When fuel consumption is lessened, then the emissions of greenhouse carbon dioxide are reduced as well.

Volvo Cars has gone through great care to help in alleviating the problems that climate change imposes. They have been able to produce cars which are powered by alternative fuels. Their Volvo S40, Volvo V50, Volvo C30, Volvo V70, and Volvo S80 are operated by FlexiFuel, which makes use of bioethanol. Aside from that, Volvo has targeted this year to release to the public market a C30 Efficiency which would have a fuel consumption of 4.5 liter per 100km with carbon dioxide emissions of 119 g/km.

Volvo Cars also makes use of hydropower (green electricity) in their manufacturing plants located in Sweden and Belgium. This use of green electricity is their recent addition to their environmental awareness. Volvo has also managed to provide a wide range of alternative fuels. Back in 2005 in Sweden, they have launched the Volvo FlexiFuel cars. These cars are powered by bioethanol, which are able to release lower emissions of fossil carbon dioxide. This year, it is expected that the V70 and S80 will also have 2.5-liter turbo FlexiFuel engines.

Investing money in environmental research and development, which would run for five years, would aid Volvo in their aim for decreasing fuel consumption and emissions of their cars. When they launched the catalytic converter and oxygen sensor more than thirty years ago, Volvo has managed to cut down the harmful emissions by ninety percent. The engines found in Volvo cars comply with the strict requirements for exhaust emissions. This includes their V8 and new six-cylinder. Not only that but for the sake of the “green” states in the united States of America, they also made available engines which comply to one of the toughest emission control standard – the Partial Zero Emission Vehicle emission control standard.

The conscious effort to help the environment does not stop with Volvo engines. The interiors of their cars are always tested to assure the public that it has passed the requirements set by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100.The advanced Interior Air Quality System (IAQS) of Volvo Cars diminishes the amount of particularly harmful gases.

Involved with a certain number of environmental projects and preserving the lifecycle impact of their cars, Volvo’s commitment to the environment is made clear.

source: Auto Spectator

Volvo keeps on maintaining their focus on energy sources aside from oil and this positive focus has been going on for more than twenty-five years. The initial step Volvo took regarding their environmentally friendly idea took place back in 1982, when they used the residual heat from the refineries close at hand. This helped heat their factory in Torslanda. Six years later, Volvo started using natural gas, which is currently the primary fuel they use when it comes to heating their factories located in Sweden and Belgium.

Now Volvo is using hydroelectric power for their plants in Sweden and Belgium. This is for their aim to reach a vehicle production in Europe and said production is climate-neutral. The senior vice-president for manufacturing Volvo Cars, Magnus Hellsten, said, “We aim to use renewable energy to the greatest possible extent and hydro power is the best alternative our suppliers can offer at present.” This climate-neutral production of vehicles is in connection with direct and indirect climate impact. Aside from that, Volvo will also be exploring other kinds of energy for their production units. Some of the types they will be looking into are biogas and wind power. The environmental protection director of Volvo, Mihkel Laks, had said that they have made a lot of progress and are practically independent of oil for the company’s energy.

One of the things Volvo has been making sure they manage to keep constant is a systematic focus on energy-saving measures. This is a step towards their environmental work. Volvo has maintained a steady consumption on energy. They have administered the cutting down of energy use through various numbers of projects and campaigns. They recently did a systematic review of two of their departments’ building in Torslanda and the result was energy savings that was roughly around thirty percent.

Source: motoring.co.za

The planning of the 2009 Volvo XC60 started early in the summer. The brainstorming of this new model included the hatching of interesting details, innovation ideas and inspiring designs to be used. The upcoming Volvo is a mixture of the different types of cars. Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars’ Design Director, has said that this Volvo has a “very bold, muscular XC feel” to it but at the same time is “very sleek… charismatic lines of almost a coupe.” The design innovation of the anticipated Volvo XC60 will give insight to the way future Volvo cars would look and feel. The elements included in the XC60 will be important, since it will determine some of the factors that the forthcoming Volvo cars will produce. Volvo is expected to bring in the new model to the public some time soon in the market. Although no definite date was given, the Volvo CX60 was already seen in Sweden, on a lake in the Arctic Circle. It already went through a test drive.

This model is supposedly based on the Land Rover LR (Freelander 2) and would utilize the same DOHC 3.2-liter six-cylinder. The 2009 XC60 was spotted to have LED rear tail lights and a deep rear window, which possibly helps in terms of visibility. Its lower body was reported to be wide, with the upper section giving off a sporty yet stylish design. The tail lights are located at the corners of the roof with the glass tailgate. The glass tailgate can be opened in three various ways. It can open fully, just on the top section or the lower section.

The interior of the vehicle is made up of tanned leather and aluminum. It also has the so-called “floating” center (the console and dashboard) that it is popularly known for. The controls do not become visible. Not until the vehicle had started. It is made to be spacious, able to have a five adult-seating with plenty of space for the luggage.

This new XC model has an electronically-controlled four-wheel drive system. This certain type of Volvo sports a 230 hp at 6,300 rpm. It also has a 234 lb.-ft of torque at 3,300 rpm. Its 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine runs on a fuel which is emission-reducing bio-ethanol.

Source: Left Lane News