At the gates of 2020, one of the challenges for human societies is to create more sustainable industries to face the climate emergency . In this sense, the automobile sector, which is one of the most important in Spain, has been concerned with offering drivers alternatives to hybrid and plug-in vehicles.
What worries car users today? If safety was a priority decades ago, now sustainability has become the future of the sector. Just as Volvo was a benchmark in safety during the 20th century, today it is the best candidate to lead the green transition in the automotive sector.
The industry has contributed to the emission of gases that contribute to climate change; this is evidence that manufacturers have never intended to deny. Climate change has made the planet less safe, something that goes against the values that have always characterized Volvo Cars. Therefore, it is not surprising that today they are determined to make a complete transition that will revolutionize the sector.
What does it mean to be ‘full electric’?
To lead a revolution in a sector like the automobile, you have to be determined. Volvo has been adamant: From now on, every new Volvo model will be electric and the brand will launch a purely electric one every year between now and 2025.
And if this project weren’t ambitious enough, Volvo’s ‘full electric’ concept is not just limited to vehicle manufacturing, but is also carried over to its entire production chain. The company will ensure that all its plants run on renewable energy.
These two objectives, Volvo calculates, will reduce the carbon footprint per vehicle throughout its useful life by 40% , half, of tailpipe emissions; and the other half, due to the reduction of CO2 originating in the supply chain and during the manufacture of the vehicle.
Can an assembly line be sustainable?
The idea that each new Volvo vehicle is electric is quite consistent, but the fact that all its manufacture is also electric may seem, a priori, the most difficult to achieve. However, there are already similar success stories, from which Volvo has drawn inspiration. The Skövde factory in Sweden was designated in 2018 as a climate neutral site , that is, the first non-polluting factory in the world. A label that the Volvo Cars brand is determined to achieve by 2040.
Committing to the environment has advantages
According to data from Volvo, its plug-in hybrids are driven in pure or hybrid mode for 40% of the total distance of the journey. But this is not enough to reduce the footprint on the environment and operating costs. Volvo wants to encourage purely electric driving.
If you, as a driver, are also determined to commit to caring for the environment, Volvo wants to reward you for it: one year of electricity will be free for customers who have bought a hybrid since October 16, 2019 , precisely the date of the world premiere of Volvo’s first 100% electric vehicle: the New Volvo XC40 full electric.
The automotive industry does not have to be alien to international commitments to preserve the environment. In this sense, Volvo Cars once again aligns itself with the philosophy that has made it a benchmark: its commitment to making the world a safer place.
