- Volvo aims to be an environmental leader in the premium segment
- Innovative technology makes Volvo cars clean inside and out
“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, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.
Environmental care is a recognised corporate tradition at Volvo in 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 a clear leader in the premium segment when it comes to
environmentally sound mobility,” says Hans-Olov Olsson.
Volvo Cars’ environmental tradition
Volvo Car Corporation has long
maintained that although the car contributes greatly to the socio-economic
development of society, it is not without side-effects.
Volvo Car Corporation 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.
The major environmental challenges
Today Volvo Cars will
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 most
significant 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
Volvo Cars is convinced that advanced technology is
necessary but creating good solutions today is as important.
“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 a previous press
release.)
“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 Kärrberg.
Methane – a fuel for today and tomorrow
Volvo Cars has developed
methane-fuelled 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 S40 sedan, V50 wagon, S60 sedan and V70 wagon are now available with
PZEV engines in several American 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 focused on the use of environmentally compatible materials.
The interior of every Volvo complies with the Oeko-Tex 100 ecological standard –
a major step towards a healthier in-car environment. Oeko-Tex 100 certification
criteria is published at www.oeko-tex.com.
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 – mainly metal plated materials – such as the handbrake
button, load anchoring eyebolts, Space Ball gear selector 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. In every Volvo, air
entering the cabin must first pass through a cabin filter. This filter greatly
reduces the amount of dust, particulates and pollen entering the interior.
In addition, all Volvo models sold in Australia can 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 jams and tunnels. A combined filter with an activated carbon element
helps protect the occupants from virtually all unpleasant odours caused, for
example, by petrol and diesel engine exhaust fumes, washer fluid and oil. The
combined filter also reduces occupant exposure to gases such as nitrogen oxides,
ground-level ozone and hydrocarbons.
Zinc Wheel Weights
In Volvo's systematic approach in reducing
environmental impact even the few grams of lead used to balance each wheel were
considered inappropriate. The solution is the zinc wheel weight. The lead-free
zinc weights were first used on new S40 sedan and V50 wagon and are now used
across the 2005 Volvo model range.
Each year, tonnes of lead enter the environment in the form of wheel weights.
How severely lead weights impact the environment is not known; however, the
European Union is expected to legislate against use of lead weights sometime in
the future.
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 minimise 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.
- Biogas Cities is a cooperative project undertaken by Volvo Cars, AB Volvo,
local communities and fuel suppliers to encourage increased use of biogas and
natural gas.
- Volvo Adventure is an international environmental education and competition
scheme for young people, a joint project with UNEP, the United Nations
Environment Programme. Volvo Adventure is an annual award eligible to primary
and secondary students.
- Volvo Environment Prize, worth more than $(US)200,000, is awarded annually
to individuals who make a significant contribution to the advancement of
environmental research and development.
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/epi
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