Where we stand: February 2011
The Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo has endured a turbulent time in recent years having been sold by the Ford Motor Company to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2010 (see article).
However, in the same year it also recorded global sales of 373,525 cars – representing an increase of 11.2 per cent compared to 2009. At the centre of its rebound has been a firm commitment to greener technologies with some of the most fuel efficient cars on the roads.
Volvo today
Volvo first dipped into the green car sector in 2005 when it introduced E85 flexible fuel models to the Swedish market. Both the S40 and the V50 were offered with flexible fuel engines, before the C30 was also offered with the alternative fuel capabilities in 2006. The vehicles were initially restricted to Sweden only but expanded across eight European markets in 2007, and in 2008 a Volvo V70 model was launched with a 2.5litre turbocharged flexible fuel engine.
However, much of Volvo’s modern day focus on green vehicles comes through its DRIVe campaign.
The DRIVe range (see article) of vehicles features a number of green technologies including new start/stop technology which switches the engine off when the car is stationary; as well as regenerative braking with the battery charged by utilising the energy when the brake pedal is pressed. All of the models in the DRIVe range include an efficient diesel engine, a smarter gearbox and lower air and rolling resistance.
One of the highlights of the DRIVe range is the Volvo C30 which achieves a fuel economy rating of 74.3mpg and has CO2 emissions at just 99g/km. It earned TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk Green Car of the Year title in 2009 with Volvo scooping the Green Manufacturer of the Year award in the same year (see article).
Volvo has also dipped into other forms of propulsion. It unveiled a plug-in hybrid concept car – the Volvo ReCharge – at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show with an all-electric range of 60miles. In 2009, it announced it would be producing a series of plug-in hybrids by 2012 and declared it plans to sell a series hybrid with emissions at less than 50g/km of CO2 (see article). It has also teamed up with Vettenfall to convert two Volvo V70 cars into plug-in hybrid vehicles for field testing in Sweden with customers participating in the trial offered the chance to source their electricity from wind or hydropower.
Greenest models on sale:
The following are the greenest models of all Volvo cars available now in the UK:
Volvo C30 – Greenest Model: DRIVe with combined fuel consumption of 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
Volvo C70 – Greenest Model: D3 with six-speed manual gearbox with combined fuel consumption of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km.
Volvo S40 – Greenest Model: DRIVe Start/Stop with combined fuel consumption of 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
Volvo S60 – Greenest Model: D3 with manual start/stop with combined fuel consumption of 53.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km.
Volvo S80 – Greenest Model: D3 with six-speed manual gearbox with combined fuel consumption of 53.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km.
Volvo V50 – Greenest Model: DRIVe Start/Stop with combined fuel consumption of 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
Volvo V60 – Greenest Model: D5 with six-speed manual gearbox with combined fuel consumption of 52.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 142g/km.
Volvo V70 – Greenest Model: D3 with six-speed manual gearbox with combined fuel consumption of 51.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 144g/km.
Volvo XC60 – Greenest Model: D3 Drive with combined fuel consumption of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km.
Volvo XC70 – Greenest Model: D3 Drive with combined fuel consumption of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km.
Volvo XC90 – Greenest Model: D5 AWD with combined fuel consumption of 34mpg and CO2 emissions of 219g/km.
Volvo tomorrow:
Volvo has lined up several exciting green concepts that will debut in the coming years:
- Volvo C30 DRIVe electric concept car – The vehicle made its debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show with field testing beginning this year (see article). It has a lithium-ion battery and a top speed of 81mph with an all-electric range of 93miles.
- V60 diesel plug-in hybrid – Volvo has announced that it will unveil a V60 plug-in hybrid at this year’s Geneva Motor Show with CO2 emissions below 50g/km and a combined range of 746miles (see article).
