Volvo Cars leads the way in reducing fleet CO2 emissions

Volvo Cars issues 2013 Sustainability report:

Volvo Cars leads the way in reducing fleet CO₂ emissions

Volvo Cars reduced average fleet emissions by 8.4 per cent from 2012 to 2013, according to figures monitored by European car industry association ACEA. This underlines Volvo Cars’ position at the forefront of the European car industry in bringing down emission levels and further cements its environmental credentials.

Volvo Cars’ strong environmental performance serves as a reminder of the company’s technological leadership and innovation power. Volvo leads the industry when it comes to bringing more environmentally sound technologies to market, as witnessed by products such as the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid and the fully in-house developed Drive-E powertrain family. These technologies contributed to an average fleet emission level, weighed by sales volume, of only 131 g/km in 2013 (143 g/km in 2012).

These and other facts on Volvo Cars’ environmental performance are included in the latest edition of the company’s annual Sustainability Report, which is now available online (click here to download). Apart from emission levels of Volvo Cars’ vehicle line-up and the company’s sustainability strategy, the report also informs readers about how the company works with issues like energy efficiency within its operations, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as well as compliance and ethics.

With the new Drive-E powertrains, Volvo Cars has created a family of smaller, more intelligent petrol and diesel engines with power curves that give exciting drivability while at the same time delivering the fuel economy of only four cylinders. By adding electrification such as plug-in hybrid technology to the engines, Volvo Cars can provide customers with both ultra-efficient and high-performance engines.

As such, the two-litre Drive-E powertrains offer customers a world-class blend of drivability and low CO₂ emissions. For instance, the Volvo S60 T6 with 306 horsepower and the new 8-speed automatic is the first car in this segment that delivers over two horsepower per gram CO₂ from a combustion engine only. The D4 with 181 horsepower and manual gearbox is the first diesel car on this power level in the premium D-segment with CO₂ emissions under 100 g/km.

The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is Volvo Cars most technically advanced model ever - an electric car, hybrid car and high-performance car all rolled into one. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is available with a full range of colours and specifications including R-Design, while retaining its class-leading emission levels of 48 g/km.

Volvo Car Group in 2013

For the 2013 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 1,919 MSEK (66 MSEK in 2012). Revenue over the period amounted to 122,245 MSEK (124,547 MSEK), while net income amounted to 960 MSEK (-542 MSEK). Global retail sales for the year amounted to 427,840 (421,951) cars, an increase of 1.4 per cent compared to 2012. The operating profit was the result of cost control and strong sales and was further tangible proof of Volvo Car Group’s progress in implementing its transformation plan. For the full year 2014, the company expects to stay in black figures and predicts to record a global sales increase of a good 5 per cent.

About Volvo Car Group

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 427,000 in 2013 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2013, Volvo Cars had over 23,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China).