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Leif Johansson, President and CEO of the Volvo Group
Stefano Chmielewski, President of Renault Trucks
Heinz-Jürgen Löw, Senior Vice President, Renault Trucks Europe
Tony Helsham, President of Volvo Construction Equipment
Mikael Bratt, Senior Vice President and CFO of the Volvo Group.
Pär Östberg, SVP, AB Volvo
Volvo Trucks has inaugurated its first climate-neutral dealership facility. The inauguration took place in Verona, Italy. With the help of solar cells on the building’s roof, more energy will be produced than is needed to heat up the offices and workshops.
“When we decided to build an entirely new facility, we wanted to make sure we integrated pro-environmental technologies from the ground up,” says Marco Lazzoni, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks’ operations in Italy. “And what is cleaner than solar energy?”
Green electricity
Solar energy produced at the Volvo Truck Center in Verona will be supplied to the local power grid, thus generating an income from the electricity that the dealership facility itself does not need. In return, the dealership will only purchase green electricity from solar, wind-power or hydro-power sources. Heating of the premises will take place using fossil methane gas. However, the surplus electricity that the solar panels generate more than compensates for the carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning the methane gas.
Climate-neutral operation
“Here at Volvo Trucks we work intensively to ensure that ever-increasing proportions of our operations are climate-neutral. With the new facility, we’re carrying our dedication to the climate out to the dealership level,” says Lars Mårtensson, environment affairs manager at Volvo Trucks.
Volvo Trucks’ aim is that more dealers should follow Verona’s example. It is not likely that all will follow the path of solar cells, but there are alternative ways to proceed.
“Energy efficiency and a larger proportion of energy from alternative sources are the foundation of our work. The exact measures that are most suitable for implementation are determined by local conditions.”
Over the past few years, Volvo Trucks has implemented a range of measures that help reduce the environmental imprint of its operations and products. For instance, the company’s largest production facility in Ghent in Belgium became the world’s first climate-neutral vehicle factory in 2007. That same year, Volvo Trucks demonstrated 7 trucks each running on a different renewable fuel. This past spring the world’s first heavy-duty hybrid refuse trucks were handed over to customers for field testing.
“These activities show that even a player in heavy industry can reduce climate impact to a major extent – from both its products and its facilities. What is more, we have several additional factories that will also soon become climate-neutral,” says Lars Mårtensson.
Ward’s AutoWorld magazine once again acknowledged Volvo for superior car interior design. The Volvo C30 earned Ward’s Interior Design Award for Best Brand Reflection. Last year, Ward’s named the Volvo S80 winner of the Best Interior Design of the Year Award.
According to Eric Mayne, Ward’s Editor of News Operations, “Marked by simplicity, grace and functionality, the C30’s interior exemplifies this heritage. They not only defy the industry convention that mass ensures comfort, they contribute to a futuristic ambience usually reserved for concept cars.” Volvo interiors have always been ergonomically designed to bring forward in materials all that is reflected in Scandinavian design: where form and function combine to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand. In a complicated world, Volvo brings a sense of harmony and peace to the daily grind of driving.
“With the C30, our goal was to bring a more youthful spirit and a refined Scandinavian flair to the interior,” Steve Mattin, SVP Design, Volvo Cars said. “We wanted the best of our cultural design heritage in this car. Our design vision was to create an interior that could only be branded Volvo. We shied away from chrome, kept controls intuitive without adding more buttons or switches and looked for ways to express our feeling about harmony and softness. Our center stack console has become a signature element for all Volvo car models. Its outline brings a natural rhythm and functionality expressed in clean lines and soft curves.”
Volvo’s legendary anatomically designed seats are upholstered in the unique T-Tec fabric specially developed for Volvo Cars and inspired by sportswear and modern travel accessories. T-Tec is soft, supple, elastic and comfortable. The contrast between T-Tec and textile - along with seams of a different, yet coordinating color - reinforces the dynamic appeal of the car.
“We are pushing the edge with materials, visual sensations and tactile feelings,” Steve Mattin said. “C30 is a reflection of our Scandinavian culture, feelings about our environment and our heritage.”
Volvo Cars came out top in Britain’s Power of Aluminium Awards for the company’s new load-anchoring system installed in the new XC70 and V70. “The system with its embedded eyelets is unique. It means a lot to Volvo Cars that we have won this award,” says Karin Lejonbäck, group manager at the Interior & Climate department.
Set into the floor of the luggage compartment of the new XC70 and V70 are load rails made of aluminium. Running in the rails are four sliding hooks or eyelets that are used to secure cargo.
What is unique about this solution is that the eyelets lie flush with the floor’s surface when they are not in use, they can be moved steplessly and they are self-locking in the raised position when in use.
The Power of Aluminium Awards ranks the concept very highly - it was given first prize in the Transport category. The award was presented recently at a ceremony in Warwick in England.
“This is the first time Volvo Cars has received this award. We have also made it to the next round of this year’s Henry Ford Technology Award, an internal innovation contest, with this function,” relates Karin Lejonbäck.
The solution is developed in cooperation with aluminium profile supplier Sapa.