Volvo Cars and Vattenfall Partner for Electrification

A Volvo that can be fuelled with electricity from a standard wall socket will be a reality in 2012. Swedish energy company Vattenfall and Volvo Car Corp. (VCC) have launched an industrial joint venture partnership to introduce plug-in hybrids to the marketplace. The groundbreaking technology will considerably lower the environmental impact from traffic and owning a plug-in hybrid will be convenient since you can fuel up at home and fuel costs are significantly lower.

In January 2007, Volvo Cars and Vattenfall launched a joint project with the aim of testing and developing plug-in technology. Now their cooperation is being taken to the next level.

“We are investing in an industrial joint venture to series-produce plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden in 2012, cars that can be powered by both electricity and diesel. This is an important business development for us and our partnership with Vattenfall allows us to take a giant step toward offering our customers cars with an even smaller environmental footprint,” said Stephen Odell, president and CEO of VCC.

Vattenfall and VCC believe that series production of plug-in hybrid cars and the development of an infrastructure can generate new jobs and help Sweden maintain its position at the cutting edge of advanced environmental technology.

One of the major benefits of plug-in hybrids is that they can be charged from a regular household wall socket. The development of the cars is being carried out and financed jointly by the two companies. VCC will manufacture the cars and Vattenfall will develop charging systems and supply the cars with electricity.

The plug-in hybrid cars will be driven by a powerful electric motor fuelled by a lithium-ion battery. The battery takes about five hours to charge from a standard wall socket, and the battery is also charged every time the car’s brakes are applied.

During this summer, three Volvo V70 demonstration cars will be used to gather information about the demands that drivers may have on the new technology, to determine their driving habits and to establish how they want to charge their cars.

While a date has not yet been set for the plug-in hybrids to come to the U.S. market, it is important to understand that Volvo is taking the first steps toward electrification.

 A Volvo is Named Green Car of the World

Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe featuring the new Start/Stop technology has been named Green Car of the Year at the prestigious 2009 What Car? Green Car Awards. This is the yearly award from What Car?, Britain’s biggest consumer automotive magazine and car buyer’s guide. The Volvo S40 DRIVe beat the BMW 118d and the Renault Megane for the top spot in the Small Family category and then stormed ahead to achieve victory over all the other category winners, including the Audi A8 and MINI Cooper S.

 Volvo has just released their new interactive racing game in the United States.  Watch the video below to see this exciting racing game for yourself. 

 Please read the article below from volvocars.us.com to find out more on this exciting game.

“Volvo – The Game” Makes its U.S. Debut

Volvo – The Game features six different cars and the race is run on two authentically reproduced racing tracks. The six racing cars are the stars. The lead roles are played by the Volvo S60 Concept, the Volvo C30 that is currently competing in the STCC, the previous Volvo S60 that also competed in the STCC, the Volvo S40 that notched up many notable successes in the BTCC (the British Touring Car Championship), the Volvo 850- the estate car that became a legend in the BTCC – and finally a true racing classic from the past, a Volvo 240 Turbo Group A.
The two tracks are the Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena in Göteborg, Sweden and Chayka outside Kiev in the Ukraine. Volvo – The Game is the only virtual racing game in the world to feature the Ukrainian racing track.

Authentic feel
The aim of the game is to reach out to a broad public. A seven-year-old can have fun with it but in order to truly get the most out of the game’s many advanced features, players really should be a few years older.
For the most authentic feel, Volvo – The Game should be played with a steering wheel and pedals connected to the computer. However, it is also possible to operate the car via the PC’s keyboard or with a game-pad. The game offers a choice of skill levels: “novice with all the driver assistance technology activated such as ABS brakes, “semi-pro”, and finally “pro” where there is no assistance whatsoever.
It is possible to select the Volvo of your choice, compete against your own best times and have the track all to yourself. Or you can compete against up to eleven computer-controlled competitors. There are several alternative settings for graphics and sound. For instance, the star, the Volvo S60 Concept, will be available in two versions – “natural” and racing.

Footnote: Volvo – The Game can be downloaded free of charge to your own PC www.volvocars.com/game (English version). The game is available now at www.volvocars.com/us

Volvo Invites Customers to Cut Their Service Bills, While Supporting Pediatric Cancer Research

ROCKLEIGH, N.J.(June 12, 2009) ­­- For the second consecutive year, Volvo Cars of North America will provide an opportunity for customers to save money on their next service visit, while supporting pediatric cancer research at the same time.

In 2008, Volvo launched the world’s first virtual lemonade stand, www.lemonadestandforlife.com, to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), which raises funds to find better treatments and cures for pediatric cancer. Volvo kicked off the grand opening by purchasing the first 200,000 cups. Since then, thousands of generous donors have joined the fight by purchasing virtual cups of lemonade.

For only $1 each, anyone can purchase virtual cups of lemonade at the online lemonade stand. To help spread the word about the important work that ALSF is doing, purchasers can share cups of lemonade from the stand – via email – with family and friends.

“Our mission, as a founding sponsor of ALSF, has been to bring awareness to the cause and raise money to help these kids,” said Doug Speck, president and chief executive officer for Volvo Cars of North America. “For the second year, we encourage our customers to support a great cause and save money at the same time. Purchasing virtual cups of lemonade – and sharing them online – is simple, fun and helps ALSF in a big way.”

Service Appointment Offer

In honor of Lemonade Days (June 12-14), Volvo owners can save money on their next service appointment when they purchase cups of lemonade at www.lemonadestandforlife.com June 12 through July 31, 2009, while at the same time helping to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

For every virtual cup purchased between June 12 through July 31, 2009, Volvo drivers will receive a discount for the same amount, up to $100, on their next service visit at any authorized U.S. Volvo retailer. Service discounts are redeemable June 12, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009. For additional information, visit www.lemonadestandforlife.com.

Click here to read the full article from volvocars.us.com.