Article Keyword Videos to Watch
Autos
Click on the image to start the video.
|
Related Topics
Images - Links - Articles
Houston
Related Images
|
Volvo Digs Deeper To Do BIG
“Every year is a road safety year at Volvo.” – that is the tagline of the automaker that conveys inexhaustible commitment to safety. Volvo spearheaded significant milestones in connection with auto safety features. Its record says it all. Since 1927, the automaker has introduced a great number of significant innovations.
As what Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, founders of Volvo, have put it, “Cars are driven by people – the guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain – safety.” Earlier, a study was conducted by the Ecology Center. The study entitled Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars & the Need for Safe Alternatives delved into measuring toxic chemicals in building car interiors. The study includes flame retardant PBDE and phthalates, used to soften plastics and textiles at high temperatures. These substances are dangerous to the respiratory system. They could even result to genetic mutations.
In said study, the Ecology Center compared 11 different makes of car built between 2000 and 2005. And it has found out that the interiors of Volvo cars have the lowest emissions of phthalates. The incidence of flame retardant PBDE is also lower that other makes. This is the very reason why Volvo is deemed the world leader in interior air quality.
“In an age when many people suffer from asthma and allergies, it is only natural for Volvo Cars to offer its customers a good environment even inside the car,” said Anders Kärrberg, the Environmental Director at Volvo Cars. In order to maintain excellent interior air quality, the automaker uses state-of-the-art and safe auto materials. “The textiles and leather used in our cars meet stringent Oeko-Tex standard 100, which ensures that fabrics and hides have been thoroughly tested to check for certain allergy-inducing substances. We also work with contact allergies and are phasing out toxic substances such as certain phthalates. Volvo’s IAQS air quality system has also been developed to clean the air and reduce the risk of allergic reactions inside the car,” added Kärrberg.
Volvo safety milestones include the safety cage, laminated windscreen, three-point safety belts in the front, padded dashboard, energy-absorbent bumpers, wide-angle door mirrors, the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), high-level brake light, airbags, inflatable curtains, SIPS (Side-Impact Protection System), ROPS (Rollover Protection System), WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), RSC (Roll Stability Control), and the IDIS (Intelligent Driver Information System). Volvo is still working on improving its safety milestones to introduce better features in the future.
Aside from safety, Volvo is also concentrating on the production of green cars. Lately, it has expanded its range to include FlexiFuel cars. These cars are powered by renewable bioethanol fuel. “Interest in ethanol as a vehicle fuel is growing in Europe,” said Gerry Keaney, Senior Vice President Market, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars. “We are therefore expanding our range with additional models on a total of 9 markets. First to get Volvo’s FlexiFuel cars outside Sweden will be Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Norway.” He added, “It’s very encouraging that the market is expanding and that political initiatives are being taken.”
In view of this, the automaker is upgrading its auto parts and accessories including Volvo radiator fan to complement the big change. The radiator fan is geometrically designed to promote optimal circulation and accurate balancing. They offer faster cooling and improved fuel efficiency to produce more horsepower.
The Volvo C30, S40 and V50 are now available in an environmentally optimized FlexiFuel alternative. They are all powered by a four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine producing 125 horsepower. Petrol and bioethanol are both filled in the same 55 liter tank. 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”, concluded Hans-Olov Olsson, Volvo Cars President and CEO.
About the Author: Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.
|
