AWD*V70XC
10-31-2004, 02:51 PM
Cars have made a great contribution to the way people enjoy their lives. Cars are practical, exhilarating, attractive and, sometimes, just plain fun. But they can also have a negative effect on the environment we share and will pass along to future generations. So at Volvo, just as we are striving to build safer cars, we’re also striving to build cars that are environmentally friendlier. That way, we can be sure we’re passing along a world that’s at least as good as the one that was given to us.
Reduction of Ground-Level Ozone
Ancient alchemists dreamt of turning lead into gold. Well, how about a car that can turn harmful ozone into oxygen? It’s no dream, but a reality, thanks to advanced Volvo engineering.
It started in 1976, when Volvo developed and introduced a 3-way catalytic converter and oxygen sensor, the first system of its type to help reduce all three of these harmful pollutants. Today, the system comes as standard on all Volvos and can reduce unwanted emissions by up to 95%.
More recently, Volvo introduced the PremAir®* radiator system, which helps clean ground level ozone as you drive. PremAir® can best be described as a coating on the radiator that actually turns ground level ozone into oxygen as air flows through it. At high temperatures, almost 75% of ozone is converted into pure, breathable - and very welcome - oxygen.
*PremAir is a trademark of Englehard Corporation
Recovery of Fuel Vapors
Vapors from a car can be as dangerous as exhaust from your car. Thankfully, Volvo is doing something about it. How? By specifying materials for fuel tanks and other components that help contain evaporation, and by developing recovery systems that capture fuel vapors and reintroduce them into the fuel supply. That way, these vapors will power your car, instead of pollute your air.
Reduction of Fuel Consumption
Everybody wants to drive, but nobody wants the carbon dioxide that comes from driving. Carbon dioxide is an inevitable by-product of all fuel combustion. And the more fuel a vehicle consumes, the more carbon dioxide it emits. Volvo has and continues to introduce refinements to engines and power trains that improve efficiency and help to reduce overall fuel consumption – improvements that may ultimately benefit not just Volvo, but the entire automotive industry.
Use of Alternative Fuels
One sure way to improve gasoline consumption is not to use any gasoline at all. So Volvo is exploring the use of alternative fuels, instead. Alternative fuels under study include methane gas (natural gas and biogas), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), alcohol (ethanol and methanol), biodiesel (DME, RME), natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen gas. Volvo’s Bi-Fuel engine runs on both LPG or CNG and switches automatically to gasoline only when needed.
Because a vehicle affects the environment throughout its entire life, environmental factors must be taken into account the instant the first design sketches are made. As part of our commitment to the environment, Volvo has embraced recycling as a way of reducing consumption of finite natural resources. Volvo recycling is facilitated by smart design at the product development stage, and then applied both at the beginning and end of the vehicle’s useful life. But more than that, Volvo has developed a life-cycle assessment tool known as Environmental Priority Strategies in Product Design (EPS) that enables us to measure the entire environmental impact of a product. The main advantage of EPS is that it enables various factors to be weighted together to derive a common Environmental Load Unit (ELU). For example, a designer faced with the decision of whether an aluminum or steel hood is preferable, in environmental terms, can resolve the problem quickly by comparing the ELU’s of the two products.
All New Volvo Models Contain Recycled Materials
Volvo, in cooperation with suppliers and the Ford Motor Company, is working to identify areas in which recycled, non-metallic materials may be used in the production of new vehicles. We currently use many recycled materials in our production process, and we pledge to continue to progressively increase the quantity of recycled materials used in new components.
Nearly All The Materials In A New Volvo Can Be Recycled
Eventually, the useful life of any vehicle – even a Volvo – will come to an end. When that time comes, our goal is that all its materials and components are either recycled or returned to the environment without harmful waste or loss of energy. Currently, the recovery rate (material recycling and energy recovery) for a new Volvo is 85% and is expected to reach 95% for 2015 models. To reach this goal, we’ve incorporated recycling strategies into our design and production process that help us:
· Avoid the use of hazardous materials and substances
· Facilitate the drainage and dismantling of environmentally hazardous materials
· Minimize resources used in production
· Design components so as to facilitate material recycling
In cooperation with other carmakers, as well as dismantling, shredding and recycling companies, we are optimizing dismantling procedures, training dismantling personnel and minimizing hazardous materials.
Courtesy of Volvo USA
Reduction of Ground-Level Ozone
Ancient alchemists dreamt of turning lead into gold. Well, how about a car that can turn harmful ozone into oxygen? It’s no dream, but a reality, thanks to advanced Volvo engineering.
It started in 1976, when Volvo developed and introduced a 3-way catalytic converter and oxygen sensor, the first system of its type to help reduce all three of these harmful pollutants. Today, the system comes as standard on all Volvos and can reduce unwanted emissions by up to 95%.
More recently, Volvo introduced the PremAir®* radiator system, which helps clean ground level ozone as you drive. PremAir® can best be described as a coating on the radiator that actually turns ground level ozone into oxygen as air flows through it. At high temperatures, almost 75% of ozone is converted into pure, breathable - and very welcome - oxygen.
*PremAir is a trademark of Englehard Corporation
Recovery of Fuel Vapors
Vapors from a car can be as dangerous as exhaust from your car. Thankfully, Volvo is doing something about it. How? By specifying materials for fuel tanks and other components that help contain evaporation, and by developing recovery systems that capture fuel vapors and reintroduce them into the fuel supply. That way, these vapors will power your car, instead of pollute your air.
Reduction of Fuel Consumption
Everybody wants to drive, but nobody wants the carbon dioxide that comes from driving. Carbon dioxide is an inevitable by-product of all fuel combustion. And the more fuel a vehicle consumes, the more carbon dioxide it emits. Volvo has and continues to introduce refinements to engines and power trains that improve efficiency and help to reduce overall fuel consumption – improvements that may ultimately benefit not just Volvo, but the entire automotive industry.
Use of Alternative Fuels
One sure way to improve gasoline consumption is not to use any gasoline at all. So Volvo is exploring the use of alternative fuels, instead. Alternative fuels under study include methane gas (natural gas and biogas), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), alcohol (ethanol and methanol), biodiesel (DME, RME), natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen gas. Volvo’s Bi-Fuel engine runs on both LPG or CNG and switches automatically to gasoline only when needed.
Because a vehicle affects the environment throughout its entire life, environmental factors must be taken into account the instant the first design sketches are made. As part of our commitment to the environment, Volvo has embraced recycling as a way of reducing consumption of finite natural resources. Volvo recycling is facilitated by smart design at the product development stage, and then applied both at the beginning and end of the vehicle’s useful life. But more than that, Volvo has developed a life-cycle assessment tool known as Environmental Priority Strategies in Product Design (EPS) that enables us to measure the entire environmental impact of a product. The main advantage of EPS is that it enables various factors to be weighted together to derive a common Environmental Load Unit (ELU). For example, a designer faced with the decision of whether an aluminum or steel hood is preferable, in environmental terms, can resolve the problem quickly by comparing the ELU’s of the two products.
All New Volvo Models Contain Recycled Materials
Volvo, in cooperation with suppliers and the Ford Motor Company, is working to identify areas in which recycled, non-metallic materials may be used in the production of new vehicles. We currently use many recycled materials in our production process, and we pledge to continue to progressively increase the quantity of recycled materials used in new components.
Nearly All The Materials In A New Volvo Can Be Recycled
Eventually, the useful life of any vehicle – even a Volvo – will come to an end. When that time comes, our goal is that all its materials and components are either recycled or returned to the environment without harmful waste or loss of energy. Currently, the recovery rate (material recycling and energy recovery) for a new Volvo is 85% and is expected to reach 95% for 2015 models. To reach this goal, we’ve incorporated recycling strategies into our design and production process that help us:
· Avoid the use of hazardous materials and substances
· Facilitate the drainage and dismantling of environmentally hazardous materials
· Minimize resources used in production
· Design components so as to facilitate material recycling
In cooperation with other carmakers, as well as dismantling, shredding and recycling companies, we are optimizing dismantling procedures, training dismantling personnel and minimizing hazardous materials.
Courtesy of Volvo USA