Volvo

Volvo hybrid bus takes first passengers

By David Greig

18:41 April 29, 2009 PDT

Volvo’s new hybrid bus is taking on passengers for the first time with field tests now underway in Gothenburg, Sweden. Due for series production next year, the parallel diesel/electric hybrid delivers a 30% improvement in fuel economy and a similar reduction in CO2 emissions. Read More

50th Anniversary of the 3-Point Seat Belt

By David Greig

13:40 February 26, 2009 PST

It's now been 50 years since the first automobile with standard 3-point-safety belts left the assembly lines: the Volvo P544. Patented in 1958 by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin, the 3-Point safety belt has become the most important automotive restraint system worldwide, saving an estimated one million lives so far - so it's definitely an anniversary worth celebrating. Not much has happened visually to the belt since 1958 and ongoing developments have focused on the systems that compliment the belt to do its job better. Read More

Volvo premieres world’s most powerful truck

By Mike Hanlon

18:10 January 10, 2009 PST

January 11, 2008 With its 700 hp and 3,150 Nm of torque, the new Volvo FH16 is the most powerful commercially-produced truck in the world. Its turbocharger and intercooler 16-litre 6-cylinder diesel D16G engine is derived from Volvo’s previous 16-litre engine and has more torque and an additional 40 bhp. Quite spectacularly, the truck achieves the same economy as the previous 660 bhp version, and fewer emissions. Read More

Volvo S60 Concept with Orrefors Crystal Interior

By Jack Martin

11:57 November 24, 2008 PST

November 25, 2008 In offering the world the first glimpse of the Volvo S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2009, the Swedish auto manufacturer is giving an indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when it is launched in 2010. Little information is available at this time, but Volvo has indicated the car will “deliver a sporty drive like no Volvo before.” The only other significant information released with the accompanying image is that the interior features a floating centre stack made of hand-crafted Orrefors crystal, “shaped in a graceful, transparent wave from the instrument panel all the way to the rear seat backrest.” Clearly a first in automotive interiors, the crystal panel “appears to float above the centre stack's ergonomically designed functionality and rests gently on rubber pads.” Can’t wait! Read More

Volvo to introduce 7700 Hybrid bus in 2009

By Kyle Sherer

22:11 October 2, 2008 PDT

In addition to reducing the discharge of particles and nitrous oxides by 40-50% compared with a diesel-only bus, the Volvo 7700 Hybrid has 30% lower fuel consumption which the company estimates will allow bus operators to recoup the extra cost of the vehicle within seven years. Read More

Volvo's new high-tech wind tunnel

By Noel McKeegan

00:38 October 1, 2008 PDT

Volvo has invested 20 million Euro in complete refurbishment of its in-house wind-tunnel, making it the first car manufacturer to own a facility which combines a moving road simulation system with the ability to fully reproduce the airflow around and underneath the car's body... and it's already delivering results in the quest for greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Read More

The Monster: Puma names Volvo Ocean Race entry

By Noel McKeegan

02:34 May 19, 2008 PDT

PUMA Ocean Racing has christened its stunning new boat "il mostro" (Italian for "The Monster") before heading out to sea to complete its 2000-mile qualifier for the race which gets underway later in October. Read More

Volvo adds new massage seats to S80 and XC90 Executive models

By Darren Quick

00:05 April 14, 2008 PDT

April 14, 2008 Seats which include massaging and ventilation functions are among the new luxury trimmings Volvo has added to their S80 and XC90 Executive models. The new massage function consists of five inflatable pockets which have been built into the front seats and are pumped up and drained sequentially to create a wave-like motion that is adjustable at two levels. As well as massaging the lower back they also double up as a new lumbar support, while built-in ventilation is designed to keep the occupant’s body and clothing fresh. Read More

World's first hybrid refuse truck launched in Sweden

By Noel McKeegan

01:08 April 8, 2008 PDT

April 8, 2008 Volvo has announced that Swedish refuse collection firms Renova and Ragn-Sells will begin regular daily testing of two of the company's hybrid refuse trucks ahead of a market launch in 2009. Using a 7 liter diesel engine and an electric motor that utilizes regenerative braking, the trucks are capable of delivery fuel (and therefore emissions) savings of 20 percent. Read More

Radar car collision prevention systems put to the test

By Kyle Sherer

16:34 February 14, 2008 PST

February 15, 2008 British Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre Thatcham has put three of the car industry’s most hyped collision prevention technologies to the test – and they’ve emerged with flying colors. The Volvo City Safety, Mercedes Distronic Plus, and Honda CMBS use radar systems to mitigate and prevent low speed collisions – which, as a category, make up 75% of all motor accidents. Read More

Volvo backs energy efficient forestry machinery

By Noel McKeegan

20:05 December 3, 2007 PST

December 4, 2007 Making forestry a sustainable industry isn't just about the best utilization and management of plantation resources, it's also about how the timber is harvested. With this in mind, Volvo has announced a new investment as the part-owner in El-forest AB, based in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Read More

Volvo cleans-up in car portable satellite navigation

By Noel McKeegan

16:48 November 21, 2007 PST

November 22, 2007 In an effort to introduce portable satellite navigation without the clutter of wires or the use of unsightly suction cups, Volvo has developed a new mounting bracket for Garmin’s latest satellite navigation unit that can be fitted to all new Volvo cars. Read More

High-performance Volvo S80 concept on show at SEMA 2007

By Kyle Sherer

22:12 September 23, 2007 PDT

September 24, 2007 German motorsport company Heico Sportiv has done some serious tweaking to the Volvo S80 T6 to produce a customized 260kW concept designed to showcase the potential of the standard AWD model. The high-performance concept will be on display at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) automotive tradeshow beginning on October 30 in Las Vegas. Read More

The Volvo Recharge Concept – electric car with a 1.6 litre Flexifuel back-up motor

By Mike Hanlon

09:53 September 6, 2007 PDT

Volvo is set to unveil an interesting plug-in hybrid at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The ReCharge Concept is a Volvo C30 with electric wheel motors and batteries that can be charged via a regular electrical outlet. When fully charged the Volvo ReCharge Concept can be driven approximately 62 miles on battery power alone before the car’s four-cylinder 1.6 Flexifuel engine takes over to power the car and recharge the battery. As the vast majority of us drive less than 60 miles a day, the ReCharge is effectively a permanent electric car with an acceleration figure of 0-62mph in 9 seconds and a top speed of 100mph. Read More

Volvo introduces voluntary Alcolocks from 2008

By Loz Blain

23:07 September 4, 2007 PDT

September 5, 2007 One in three traffic fatalities in Europe is alcohol related and around 3,000 people in the UK are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions. In an effort to help drivers make responsible choices, Volvo is the first manufacturer to launch a fully integrated, voluntary in-car breathalyzer/alcolock system called Alcoguard as an option to its 2008 range, which prevents the car from starting if the driver is over the blood alcohol limit. Read More

Volvo to unveil new safety technology at Frankfurt Motor Show

By Emily Clark

19:56 August 28, 2007 PDT

August 29, 2007 World-first driver alertness technology that includes automated lane departure warnings and a new collision warning system with auto braking will be among the innovations unveiled by Volvo at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Read More

Nordic Sport radio-controlled sports gear transporter

By Mike Hanlon

July 14, 2007 Built specficially for the Pan-American games, which started in Rio de Janeiro yesterday is this very special electric Volvo C30. The 1:5 scale model was developed to transport javelins, hammers or discuses from the pitch back to the athletes in the throwing area. Volvo hand-fabricated the unique bodyshell for the 2hp radio controlled electric car and the chassis came from Nordic Sport. The little beastie can reach 20km/h carrying its maximum payload which equates to four discuses, three javelins or two hammers. It keeps people safe, and it works a treat. Read More

Volvo starts project with hybrid-drive garbage vehicles

By Mike Hanlon

February 16, 2007 Volvo is to receive a SEK 9.8 million grant forom the Swedish Energy Agency in support of a hybrid technology development project for heavy vehicles. The project involves development and testing of hybrid technology in two garbage (refuse) collection trucks in Gothenburg and Stockholm. The aim of the project is to achieve fuel savings of up to 30%. Volvo has been working on research and development of hybrid technology for 20 years. Volvo’s tests and simulations show that hybrid drive for heavy vehicles is most suitable for vehicles forced during operations to make many starts and stops, such as buses, distribution trucks and refuse vehicles. In these cases, fuel savings can be up to 35%. Read More

2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race boats with embedded media

By Mike Hanlon

January 19, 2007 The next running of the world’s most demanding offshore adventure, the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race (the former Whitbread Round the World Race), features 11 ocean legs, eight inshore races and shorter stopovers in a route which takes in the hitherto uncharted territories of Asia, India and the Middle East. The race will start in the port of Alicante, Spain in the autumn of 2008. There are also changes to crew numbers and one of the most intriguing moves was the introduction of a new position of on-board media specialist – every boat in the race will carry full-time media liaison to improve the quality of interviews and imagery and to facilitate quicker and better editing of the vast quantity of footage. On-board audio and video of the last race helped raise the profile of the event but with the immediacy of new media at the race organiser’s disposal, the new moves are expected to further broaden the appeal of the race. The new rules are also designed to facilitate an all-female crew in the event. Read More

VOLVO FH16 – the most powerful truck available for commercial transport

By Mike Hanlon

December 17, 2006 Last February, Volvo Trucks launched the FH16 - the market’s most powerful truck for commercial transport - with a new 16-litre engine and power levels of 660 hp and 580 hp and torque of 3100 Nm and 2800 Nm respectively. Now the range has been further extended with an engine variant of 540 hp and torque of 2600 Nm. The 540 hp 16-litre engine has been developed primarily for hauliers in the 40-tonne segment who often drive on hilly roads. It provides the necessary prerequisites for high average speeds and in combination with the Volvo Engine Brake (VEB+) and the I-Shift intelligent gear-shifting system it offers excellent driveability. Read More

The Volvo XC60 Concept - a glimpse of the next XC

By Mike Hanlon

December 15, 2006 Volvo’s XC60 Concept is very much a car for the future. It not only offers the world a sneak preview of the next XC model to come from the Volvo Cars, it is also full of design innovation and reveals several design elements that will be part of future Volvos. Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin and his team have designed the XC60 Concept while keeping their eyes firmly focused on one clear goal. “With more expressive, emotive shapes, it will be a magnet for the viewer’s eyes. If you say that you recognise a Volvo from 50 metres today, I want to get to the point where you will instantly spot it from twice that distance in the future.” Read More

Volvo safety system for avoiding collisions at low speeds

By Mike Hanlon

December 7, 2006 Volvo has announced more innovative safety technology – a unique ‘City Safety’ system that could help drivers avoid 50 per cent of all rear-end, low speed accidents that often happen in urban environments or slow moving traffic. Statistics reveal that 75 per cent of all reported collisions occur at low speeds of up to 30 km/h (18.7 mph). The Volvo system, called ‘City Safety’, is active up to 30 km/h and keeps a watchful eye on traffic up to six metres in front of the car with the help of an optical radar system integrated into the upper part of the windscreen. If a car in front suddenly brakes or is stationary, the system will automatically pre-charge the brakes to help the driver avoid an accident by slowing down in time, or steering away from a potential collision. However, if a collision is imminent, the system will activate the car’s brakes automatically. Read More

Volvo Multi-Fuel high performance prototype that runs on five different fuels

By Mike Hanlon

June 15, 2006 The Michelin Challenge Binendum finished in Paris on the weekend, completing yet another showcase of the world’s most interesting clean technologies and energies for motorized vehicles. Each Bibendum sees a who’s who of the world’s automotive manufacturers put their latest concept vehicles on the park and this year some concept vehicles were actually rolled out for the event. One that really caught our attention was the Volvo Multi-Fuel prototype, which is optimised for running on five different fuel types; hythane (10% hydrogen and 90% methane), biomethane, natural gas, bioethanol E85 and petrol. The idea, according to Volvo, is to make use of the fuels that are produced locally. This means that less fuel needs to be transported between continents, and you can fill up the car on the fuel that is available wherever you are. Read More

Volvo Round-the-world Race visits the Big Apple

By Mike Hanlon

May 7, 2006 When the runaway leader of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race, ABN AMRO 1, enters New York harbour some time tomorrow the round-the-world race will have been underway for more than six months - the 32,700 mile race having begun in Vigo, Spain on November 12, 2005 is scheduled to end in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 17, 2006. With more than 29,000 nautical miles of the race completed and just a tenth of that distance remaining in one of the world’s most gruelling adventure races, ABN AMRO I looks likely to take the event barring mishap. The has journeyed from Europe via the Atlantic to Cape Town then on to Melbourne, Australia, then across the Tasman Sea to Wellington, New Zealand, then across the Pacific ocean to Rio de Janeiro, then on to Baltimore, USA. If you’re in the Big Apple this week, make sure you get down and take a look at the most remarkable, high tech sailing machines ever assembled. Currently, boaters are setting their sails as they prepare to finish the sixth course of the race in New York on May 8. After a 48-hour stay, crews will hoist their anchors and set sail for Portsmouth, England. There are many fantastic information resources on the internet which cover the technologies used in the construction and design of the canting-keel boats,

the official race site with full tracking of the boats and much more, and the official sites of the leading boats such as ABN AMRO I & II, the Spanish Movistar boat which set a world 24 hour distance record just prior to the start of the race, the superbly named Pirates of the Caribean, Brasil 1 and Ericsson Racing Team. Check out the image library for a taste of the spectacular nature of the event. Check out the image library Read More

Volvo Penta’s new IPS joystick controller for boats

By Mike Hanlon

February 26, 2006 Old school thinking has a distinct ring to it. “If it aint broke, don’t fix it” and “It’s always been done that way for a very good reason” are the catchcries of an era long-since-past. Once upon a time, ships and boats were pushed through the water by a fixed screw propeller and steered by a rudder. Now Volvo Penta has released a new system it has dubbed the Inboard Performance System (IPS) system and turned the whole industry on its ear. With double forward-facing propellers and steerable drive units, boats equipped with the Volvo Penta IPS are significantly better than boats with traditional inboard shafts in virtually all respects: comfort, performance, environmental features and driving characteristics. Since its introduction last year, the Volvo Penta IPS has received prizes and awards throughout the world but time stands still for no man and now there’s a new enhancement that will look strangely familiar to computer gamers - a joystick. Even the most experienced boat-owners can sometimes feel uncomfortable about the prospect of docking a large boat in a congested harbour, especially if the dockside is filled with spectators! Volvo Penta’s new IPS Joystick eliminates that problem. With just a few simple hand movements, you can place your boat elegantly against the dock. Read More