Volvo Offers a Personal Solution to Sustainable Mobility

Spurred by the growing need to tackle congestion and pollution issues, Volvo Car Corporation has developed a radically new approach to sustainable mobility with the striking 3CC concept. The futuristic Volvo 3CC personal transportation vehicle was unveiled today at the Shanghai Michelin Challenge Bibendum event.

The Volvo 3CC is a sleek, aerodynamic car designed to carry up to three adults, or two adults and two children, utilizing a unique two-plus-one seating arrangement which provides comfort and space comparable to a larger car.

The Volvo 3CC competing in Shanghai is driven by an electric powertrain, capable of propelling the vehicle up to 300 kilometres (180 miles). Its low centre-of-gravity, light weight and double wishbone suspension contribute to sportcar-like handling.

"We see the Volvo 3CC as a functional demonstrator from which clean, safe and efficient vehicles can be derived in the future," says Volvo Car Corporation spokesman Dan Werbin, Director Volvo Cars North America.

"It is clear that as densely populated nations like China become seriously mobile, we must address congestion and pollution if we want to offer future generations the mobility and freedom enjoyed today."

The Volvo 3CC is a further step towards a new mobility paradigm envisaged by Volvo Car Corporation, and epitomized by the recently revealed Volvo Tandem - a narrow, energy efficient, two-seater `personal mobility vehicle´ using 50 percent less space than a current car without compromising Volvo's traditional safety standards.

Both the Volvo 3CC and Tandem concepts were generated from the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC) think-tank in California.

VMCC believes the global market is changing from a one-car-fits-all notion to owning different cars for different needs. "Moving to a 'family' matrix of cars could change the way the world thinks about auto ownership the same way the Sony Walkman did for the audio industry," says Werbin.

Volvo has built its new mobility ideas on unique consumer and societal research carried out by VMCC in the US, Europe and Asia aimed at profiling future customer demands, expectations and latent needs. The research indicates the world is becoming more open to new transportation concepts on issues such as the environment, but solutions must be functional, 'cool', and smart.

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