The environment is in sharp focus of Volvo Cars. The company presented a number of technical solutions designed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, including the Volvo ReCharge Concept – a C30 with a unique plug-in hybrid system. “We are working towards a multi-energy society where several energy-efficient solutions interact to deal with the complex climate issues,” says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.

“The carbon dioxide issue has of course top priority. In order to deal effectively with the CO2 challenge, we must work with several different technological solutions that cover our entire model range,” explains Fredrik Arp.

Multi-energy and energy efficiency
The terms “alternative fuels” and “fuel consumption” are frequently used in the car industry. However, when discussing the future, Volvo Cars prefers to go via “multi-fuel” to the far broader terms “multi-energy” and “energy efficiency”.
“In order to more accurately judge the environmental effect of a new driveline, it is necessary to examine the entire chain from raw material extraction and fuel production to distribution and use in the car. For instance, if a lot of electricity produced by fossil fuels is needed to create a renewable fuel , this will not be CO2-efficient from a holistic perspective even if the emissions from the car’s tailpipe are minimal,” Fredrik Arp points out.

Volvo Cars is ready for the challenge
This systematic approach is being applied to all enhanced or alternative drivelines within the Volvo Cars development programme. The aim is to stimulate and promote the viability of technological solutions that are sustainable for the environment and for society in general – as well as being cost-effective.

“Few experts today question the significance of the CO2 issue. On the other hand, there are several views and methods for solving the problem in the short and long terms. Volvo Cars is ready to take the step into the multi-energy society that is being created. We understand the difficulties and we have the expertise and the innovative approach it takes to tackle both today’s and tomorrow’s environmental challenges,” says Fredrik Arp.