In a strategic shift, Volvo Cars has announced its decision to cease funding Polestar Automotive Holding, the luxury car brand jointly owned by Volvo and Geely Holding. Volvo, which owns approximately 48% of Polestar’s shares, saw its stock surge by more than 30% at the market open following the announcement. Analysts have criticised Volvo’s heavy involvement in Polestar, considering it a drain on resources for the Swedish automaker.
Challenges for Polestar in a Competitive EV Market
Polestar, like other new electric vehicle (EV) brands, has faced challenges, especially with the intensifying competition in the EV market, highlighted by Tesla’s price war. The brand recently fell short of its reduced delivery targets for 2023. Since going public in June 2022 via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Polestar’s shares have declined by over 83%.
Geely Takes the Reins, Volvo Shares Soar
Volvo Cars’ decision to relinquish funding for Polestar has led to Geely Holding taking on the responsibility for the struggling luxury brand. This development has fuelled a significant surge in Volvo’s stock, rising over 30% at market open. While there were considerations of distributing Polestar shares to Volvo’s shareholders, Geely Holding has welcomed the decision, committing to providing operational and financial support to Polestar without reducing its shareholding in Volvo Cars.
Menjelang 2030, Volvo Cars merancang untuk hanya menjual kereta elektrik sepenuhnya dan menjelang tahun 2040, ia menyasarkan untuk menjadi syarikat yang neutral iklim. Pelan hala tuju yang jelas ke arah elektrifikasi sepenuhnya tersebut merupakan salah satu pelan transformasi yang bercita-cita- tinggi bagi mana-mana pembuat kereta legasi.
Untuk menekankan komitmen mereka terhadap cita-cita tersebut, Volvo mengumumkan penamatan pengeluaran untuk semua model kereta Volvo berkuasa diesel menjelang awal 2024 pada Minggu Iklim NYC (Climate Week NYC). Dalam beberapa bulan dari sekarang, kereta Volvo berkuasa diesel yang terakhir akan dibina, menjadikan Volvo Cars sebagai salah satu pembuat kereta legasi pertama yang mengambil angkah ini.
Pencapaian ini mengikut keputusan Volvo Cars tahun lepas untuk berhenti daripada membangunkan enjin pembakaran baharu. Pada November 2022, syarikat tersebut telah menjual pegangan mereka dalam Aurobay, syarikat usaha sama yang menyimpan semua baki aset enjin pembakaran mereka. Sejak itu, Volvo Cars tidak lagi membelanjakan satu krona daripada bajet R&D mereka untuk membangunkan enjin pembakaran dalaman yangl baharu.
Volvo Cars memberi tumpuan sepenuhnya pada elektrifikasi, cita-cita untuk berterusan ke arah kemampanan sejak syarikat itu telah akui pada Persidangan Alam Sekitar yang pertama oleh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (United Nations) di Stockholm pada tahun 1972 bahawa produknya mempunyai kesan negatif terhadap alam sekitar. Disebabkan itu, Volvo ia bertekad untuk bertindak ke atasnya.
Laporan Pengambilan Stok (Stocktake) Iklim Global yang dikeluarkan oleh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu baru-baru ini menggariskan betapa terdesaknya kecemasan iklim yang sedang dihadapi oleh manusia yang memerlukan pertindakan.
Untuk menekankan lagi perkara ini, Ketua Pegawai Kelestarian, Anders Kärrberg telah menghadir acara yang dianjurkan oleh Gabungan Accelerating to Zero (A2Z) pada tahun 2023 Dilancarkan pada sidang kemuncak iklim COP27, Gabungan A2Z menyediakan sebuah platform multi-stakeholder untuk para penandatangan Deklarasi Glasgow mengenai Kenderaan Sifar Pelepasan, yang mana Volvo Cars adalah salah satunya.
Platform A2Z tersebut membolehkan Volvo Cars bekerjasama dan menyelaraskan tindakan dengan pihak lain ke arah sasaran kolektif gabungan itu iaitu ‘100 peratus jualan kereta dan van baharu global yang bebas daripada pelepasan paip ekor menjelang 2040, dan selewat-lewatnya tahun 2035 di pasaran terkemuka’.
Walaupun sasaran dan cita-cita elektrifikasi Volvo Cars lebih tinggi daripada itu, ia mengharapkan bahawa ia dapat memberikan inspirasi kepada syarikat lain untuk mengambil langkah untuk mengambil tindakan terhadap perubahan iklim.
Keputusan untuk menghentikan diesel dengan sepenuhnya menjelang awal 2024 menggambarkan betapa cepatnya industri kereta dan permintaan pelanggan berubah dalam menghadapi krisis iklim.
Hanya empat tahun yang lalu, enjin diesel merupakan elemen terpenting buat Volvo Car bukan sahaja buat kami di Eropah, malah juga pembuat kereta lain. Majoriti kereta yang dijual di benua itu pada 2019 dikuasakan oleh enjin diesel, manakala model-model elektrik baru sahaja mula menonjol.
Trend itu sebahagian besarnya telah berubah sejak itu dan ia didorong oleh permintaan pasaran yang berlainan, peraturan pelepasan yang lebih ketat serta pertumpuan kami pada elektrifikasi. Majoriti jualan Volvo Cars di Eropah kini terdiri daripada kereta elektrik, sama ada dengan penjana kuasa hibrid elektrik sepenuhnya atau separuh elektrik.
Pengurangan kereta diesel di jalanan juga mempunyai kesan positif terhadap kualiti udara bandar; walaupun diesel mengeluarkan CO2 yang lebih kurang daripada enjin petrol, ia mengeluarkan lebih banyak gas seperti nitrogen oksida (NOx) yang mempunyai kesan buruk terhadap kualiti udara terutamanya di kawasan binaan.
Volvo Cars has announced its plan to cease the production of remaining diesel models by early 2024, marking a significant step towards transitioning into an all-electric car manufacturer. The move aligns with Volvo’s commitment to achieving a fully electric lineup by 2030.
This decision positions Volvo as one of the pioneering traditional automakers to make this shift. Diesel-powered Volvo cars will cease production in a few months, signifying a decisive move toward electric vehicle (EV) adoption.
From its early days, Volvo has been well known for being a leader in automobile safety, which was its strongest selling point. Then the company (not surprisingly with its Swedish roots) started to be determined about its products being environmentally-friendly. Whatever regulations there were, the carmaker aimed to meet them and even be better than what was required.
Now that the company is moving rapidly towards a fully electrified range of vehicles, the matter of environmental-friendliness is readily addressed as electric vehicles do not have any toxic emissions. As usual, Volvo is also taking the lead in the field with innovative approaches to designing and making the new generation of electric vehicles.
Leather has long been associated with luxury in cars (above) but Volvo Cars will not have leather anymore and use new sustainable or recycled materials that can still maintain the same premium feel in its electric models of the future (below).
Now it is turning its attention to animal welfare and is taking an ethical stand where all new fully electric Volvo models will be completely leather-free, starting with the new C40 Recharge. As part of its ambitions to go completely leather-free, Volvo Cars is working actively to find high-quality and sustainable sources for many materials currently used in the wider car industry.
By 2025, the company is aiming for 25% of the material in new Volvo cars to consist of recycled and bio-based content, as it looks to become a fully circular business by 2040. As part of its climate action plans, it also aims for all of its immediate suppliers, including material suppliers, to use 100% renewable energy by 2025.
The company’s move towards leather-free interiors is also driven by a concern about the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming, including deforestation. Livestock is estimated to be responsible for around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, with the majority coming from cattle farming.
Instead of leather interior options, Volvo Cars will offer customers alternatives such as high-quality sustainable materials made from bio-based and recycled sources. For example, Nordico, a new interior material created by Volvo Cars will consist of textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and corks recycled from the wine industry. This material will make its debut in the next generation of Volvo models, setting a new standard for premium interior design.
Volvo Cars’ new leather-free material for its next generation cars consists of textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and corks recycled from the wine industry.
Volvo Cars will also continue to offer wool blend options and ensure that suppliers are certified to source responsibly, as the company looks to ensure full traceability and animal welfare in its wool supply chain.
“Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions,” said Stuart Templar, Director of Global Sustainability at Volvo Cars. “Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue.”
Volvo Cars is also looking to reduce the use of residual products from livestock production commonly used within or in the production of plastics, rubber, lubricants and adhesives, either as part of the material or as a process chemical in the material’s production or treatment. The company takes this step because it believes that while going leather-free is a step in the right direction, doing so alone does not make a car interior vegan.
Volvo C40 Recharge
By aiming to actively replace these materials as much as possible, Volvo Cars takes a strong and ethical position to do what it can to help stop animal harm, by contributing to a reduced demand for these materials containing animal products.
“Finding products and materials that support animal welfare will be challenging, but that is no reason to avoid this important issue,” said Mr. Templar. “This is a journey worth taking. Having a truly progressive and sustainable mindset means we need to ask ourselves difficult questions and actively try and find answers.”
Cars and shoes… in some ways, they can be considered have similar functions since both ‘transport’ people around, though in very different ways. Cars use energy from the combustion engine or electric motor to move but with shoes, you have to provide your own energy. So it’s not unusual that on World Car-Free Day (September 22), Volvo Cars Canada and Casca footwear will launch a limited-edition sneaker. Available in Canada for $198 (about RM645), the shoes have been inspired by the fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge.
“At Volvo Cars, we are committed to setting the highest standards of sustainability in mobility and that goes beyond electrifying our fleet to transforming all aspects of our business. The shoe we have created with Casca in celebration of World Car-Free Day, is one way to recognize the many steps we are taking on our journey to climate neutrality,” said Matt Girgis, Managing Director of Volvo Car Canada Ltd.
Volvo XC40 Recharge
For a carbon-neutral future
As would be expected, the shoe is all about sustainability in the long term, and both brands have a shared vision for a carbon-neutral future. On Volvo Cars’ part, there is a commitment to reducing lifecycle emissions per vehicle by 40% by 2025 and producing only fully electric vehicles by 2030. Casca’s adoption of water-based, low-energy UV treatment processes coupled with their 2-year product warranty are a testament to their ‘buy less, waste less’ philosophy.
“The Volvo XC40 Recharge was designed to reduce environmental impact, so it was the perfect inspiration for the shoe,” said Kevin Reid Lead Director and Co-Founder, Casca. “Through this collaboration, we’re also celebrating many design firsts – our first shared design, our fastest production to market, and new recycled materials we’ve never used before.”
Scandinavian influences
The goal was to create a shoe rooted in conscious design. Scandinavian influences of the XC40 Recharge were purposefully integrated for a collaborative new interpretation of Casca’s trademark clean lines. For instance, the ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlight influence can be seen in the linework and panelling, delivering a more performance-inspired aesthetic to Casca’s popular Avro silhouette.
The Swedish flag is represented on one shoe tag, while the classic Casca yellow can be seen on the other, honouring the collaboration between the two brands as well as minimalist, Scandinavian design.
Recycled materials
Of course, an important aspect of the shoe is how it is made and its environmentally-friendly credentials come from having 10% of each sole made from recycled car tyres, the first time this material has ever been used in a Casca shoe as part of an intentional repurposing and recycling of materials. Furthermore, 7 recycled plastic bottles are used to make the yarn for each breathable, flexible knit upper.
Those two features are a preview of some of the initiatives by both companies. By 2025, Volvo Cars aims to increase the share of recycled and bio-based materials in their vehicles by 25%. By 2022, all of Casca’s knit uppers will be made from recycled or renewable materials.
By 2025, Volvo Cars aims to increase the share of recycled and bio-based materials in their vehicles by 25%.
“We know that being advanced isn’t just about great design and technology; it means implementing ethical and sustainable practices,” said Braden Parker, CEO and Co-Founder, Casca. “This is just one of many similarities we see between our brand and Volvo Cars, we both want to create something with intention that lasts.”
Geely Holding (or more correctly, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in full) has been building up its portfolio of brands over the past two decades. While allowing the brands – which include Lotus, Volvo, Polestar and Proton – to operate autonomously, there has also been a strong effort to fully utilise the available synergies that such a large group of companies enables. Sharing resources can give a competitive edge in the business and Geely Holding has therefore not just developed the car companies but also looked at how it can create its own ecosystem for other elements.
One important area is powertrains and while each of the companies has had its own R&D in this area, a ‘centralised’ powertrain company would be beneficial to the group. To establish this, Geely Holding has announced a joint-venture with Volvo Cars to create Aurobay, a new company that will be in the powertrain business. The new company will be a global supplier of complete powertrain solutions including next-generation combustion engines, transmissions and hybrid solutions.
Aurobray will get Volvo’s engine facilities
Aurobay will initially be jointly owned by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding and as part of the creation of Aurobay, Volvo Cars will transfer all assets in its wholly-owned subsidiary Powertrain Engineering Sweden, including its engine plant in Sweden as well as the related R&D team, along with its engine plant in China and other relevant assets to the joint-venture in coming months.
The creation of the stand-alone joint venture and the transfer of assets allows Volvo Cars to focus fully on the development of its new range of all-electric models in coming years. The company aims to have 50% of its global sales volume made up of fully electric vehicles by 2025, of which 50% will be hybrids using powertrains supplied by Aurobay. By 2030, it will no longer sell vehicles with combustion ends and offer only fully electric models.
For Geely Holding, the new entity will benefit from the addition of a strong R&D team and technologically advanced and efficient combustion engines and hybrid powertrains for its portfolio of brands, creating a strong base for substantial operational, industrial and financial synergies.
Supply to other companies outside Geely Group
The new business also has plans to supply customers outside of the Geely Holding Group, with the objective of becoming a leading player in the supply of high-quality, low emission, cost-efficient powertrains solutions. The supply of engines to other companies isn’t something unusual and larger carmakers have been doing so for a long time. For example, Proton used to source engines for the Waja and Savvy from Renault.
Besides making and supplying powertrains to Geely Holding Group companies, Aurobray will also supply them to other companies.
Besides the new powertrain business, Geely Holding and Volvo Cars have other plans for collaboration. These include sharing of electric vehicle architecture, joint procurement, autonomous drive technologies and aftersales.
“As shareholders and portfolio-managers of both wholly-owned and listed companies, Geely Holding sees significant benefits from deeper partnerships and alliances whilst maintaining independence,” said Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding. “We are encouraged by the potential synergies and growth opportunities created by this collaboration, which will create two even stronger globally competitive companies in the rapidly changing world of automotive technology and new mobility services.”
Since the 1970s, Volvo Cars has displayed many concept cars and design studies. Many have been just studies while a handful, like the ECC of 1992 and the XC60 Concept of 2007, have been previews of near-term production models. In many cases, if you look at the new models that come out, there will be elements of concept cars in their design even if the concept car’s looks do not become a reality.
New paradigm in car design
With the Volvo Concept Recharge, the Swedish carmaker is giving a preview of its new paradigm in car design, a manifesto for the next generation of all-electric Volvos to be led by the next XC90 SUV to be launched next year.
True to the heritage of Scandinavian design, the Concept Recharge has the mantra of ‘less but better’ at its core. For example, with an electric powertrain removing the complexity of the internal combustion engine, the designers have been able to evolve the car’s proportions to increase interior space while also improving aerodynamic efficiency.
Architecture purely for electric powertrains
This isn’t Volvo’s first range of electric cars but before this, the designers have had to utilise architecture developed with combustion engine-powered cars in mind. That meant that the full benefits of an electric powertrain were not exploited as there was a need for a balance in proportions and space to be able to accommodate both a battery pack and an internal combustion engine.
The Concept Recharge breaks free of this association, using a completely new electric-only technology base. By removing the engine and replacing it with a full battery pack under the flat floor, the designers have extended the wheelbase and the wheel size of the car. The result is shorter overhangs, as well as a lot more interior space including a large storage area between the front seats.
In the Concept Recharge, these advancements have led designers to reposition the seats, optimise the roof profile and lower the bonnet of the car, while retaining the high eye point beloved by drivers of SUVs. This approach creates efficiency gains in aerodynamics compared to a typical SUV, which improves range.
New Volvo design language
This concept car also introduces a new Volvo design language. Continuing the theme of ‘less but better’, all unnecessary elements have been removed and what remains is treated with a high-precision, flush execution.
The traditional grille has been replaced with a shield-like structure; there is no longer the need for openings in the nose to let air in to help in cooling the radiator and engine. At either corner is a new interpretation of Volvo Cars’ Thor’s Hammer headlight design. These lighting units include the latest HD technology-enabled pure graphic which open at night to reveal the main lamp units.
The rear view also shows signature slim vertical rear lamps which first appeared on the 850 Wagon in the late 1990s. A visual connection to the brand’s strong design heritage, they have been reimagined with a set of wings that extend at higher cruising speeds to further improve overall aerodynamics.
“Our Concept Recharge represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of Volvo Cars, as well as a new type of vehicle,” said Robin Page, head of design. “It displays new and modern proportions that go hand-in-hand with increased versatility and shows what technology can enable in terms of design.”
New user experience inside
The Volvo design language also takes a new form inside. The flat floor provides more space and a better seating position for all those inside the car. A large, 15-inch standing touchscreen is the centre of the user experience for the company’s next-generation connected infotainment system.
“Inside the Concept Recharge, we create a truly Scandinavian living room feeling,” said Page. “The interior integrates our latest user experience technology with beautiful, sustainable and natural materials. Each part of the interior is like a piece of art and could stand alone as individual furniture in a room. We use the latest technologies but not for their own sake. We always focus on the benefits that technologies can bring.”
It doesn’t need to be said that the Concept Recharge also reflects Volvo Cars’ safety ambitions in coming years. A LiDAR sensor, built by technology company Luminar and a critical part of Volvo Cars’ plan for forthcoming safe autonomous drive technology, is placed in an optimal position on the roof to collect data on the environment around the car.
Just as fuel, whether petrol or diesel, is a necessary component for a car with an internal combustion engine to run, electricity is necessary for a full-electric or hybrid electric vehicle to run. Like the liquid fuels which are stored in containers on board the car, electricity is also stored in a battery pack which can be ‘refuelled’ by recharging the pack.
Since demand for batteries will keep growing – even accelerating as electrification progresses – the bigger carmakers that have the financial resources are finding ways to assure supply in future. Some, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai have set up factories around the world while others are establishing joint ventures for such production facilities.
Lithium-ion battery pack from a current Volvo PHEV model.
Develop sustainable battery production
The Volvo Car Group has announced plans to establish a joint-venture with Swedish battery company Northvolt to develop and produce more sustainable batteries, tailored to power the next generation of fully electric Volvo and Polestar vehicles.
As a first step for the 50:50 joint-venture, the two companies intend to set up a R&D centre in Sweden that will begin operations in 2022. The centre will draw on the battery expertise within both companies and develop next-generation, state-of-the-art battery cells and vehicle integration technologies, specifically developed for Volvo and Polestar models.
New gigafactory to be built
More significantly, the joint-venture will also establish a new gigafactory in Europe with a potential capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, with production scheduled to start in 2026. As part of the plans, Volvo Car Group also looks to source 15 GWh of battery cells per year from the Northvolt Ett battery plant in Skelleftea, Sweden, starting in 2024.
Rendering of the Northvolt Ett battery plant in Sweden when it is completed.
The new gigafactory, planned to be powered by 100% clean energy, is expected to employ around 3,000 people. The location of the new plant is yet to be decided. The first model to use battery cells developed through the joint-venture will be the electric successor to current XC60 SUV.
This development is a vital one for Volvo Cars’ ambitious electrification plans that will see 50% pure electric vehicles by the middle of this decade and, by 2030, only fully electric cars will be sold. Assured supply is therefore crucial to long-term plans and while planners in some countries imagine that policies affecting the auto industry can be introduced within a short period, the industry requires many years to prepare for changes and execute them.
Future Polestar models will also use batteries from the joint-venture factory.
For Polestar, it gives a further boost to its European growth ambitions and underlines its commitment to the ‘Polestar 0’ project, which aims to create a truly climate-neutral vehicle by 2030.
Reduce environmental footprint
Today, the production of batteries for Volvo Car Group’s fully electric cars represents a large part of the car’s total lifecycle carbon emissions. By working with Northvolt and producing batteries near its manufacturing facilities in Europe, Volvo Car Group can reduce the environmental footprint attributable to battery sourcing and production for its future cars.
What would the ultimate driving simulator be like? For gamers, it would be a set-up with a seat that moves and a steering wheel with haptic feedback that gives the same feel as driving a car, bumps and all. And of course, and a crystal-clear virtual reality headset with all the ambient sounds to provide total immersion.
For the engineers at Volvo Cars, the ultimate simulator is simply one where it is hard to tell reality from simulation. They have developed a ground-breaking mixed-reality simulator that is at the next level, used to take new strides in safety and autonomous driving technology.
Driving on real roads
Using cutting-edge technology from the leading real-time 3D development platform Unity and Finnish virtual and mixed reality experts Varjo, the simulator involves driving a real car on real roads. It combines life-like, high definition 3D graphics, an augmented reality headset, and a full-body Teslasuit that provides haptic feedback from a virtual world, while also monitoring bodily reactions.
This combination of software and hardware allows the engineers and researchers to endlessly simulate traffic scenarios on a real test track road while using a real car, all in total safety. They can gain important insights on the interaction between people and the car for development of new safety, driver assistance and autonomous driving features.
Testers can be exposed to imagined active safety and driver assistance features, upcoming autonomous drive user interfaces, future car models and many other scenarios. It can be used on real test track roads or in the test lab, and every scenario is fully customizable. The possibilities are literally endless and importantly, safe.
Driving with a mixed reality headset
Last year, together with Varjo, Volvo Cars became the first carmaker to make it possible to drive a real car while wearing a mixed reality headset. Now that collaboration has been expanded to include Unity and full-body haptic suit maker Teslasuit.
According to Casper Wickman, senior leader of User Experience at Volvo’s Open Innovation, this enables Volvo Cars to study authentic human reactions in a safe environment and at a fraction of the cost of a real test.
“Working together with great companies like Varjo, Unity and Teslasuit has allowed us to test so many scenarios that look and feel totally real, without having to physically build anything,” said Wickman. “It lets us test drive actual cars in through traffic scenarios that look and feel real, but can be adjusted at the touch of a button.”
Testing safely
When developing safety systems for cars, like collision-avoiding technologies, testing is crucial. But testing these systems in reality can be dangerous, time-consuming and expensive. Virtual and mixed reality simulations, however, allow for perfectly safe testing in authentic environments, without having to build any physical prototypes or set up complex scenarios.
“By using this cutting-edge technology, we are exploring and leading the development for creating safe cars in the future. It’s great to play a part in that,” said Wickman.
No matter how many crash tests are done and how many thousands of hours of simulations are done on computers, motor vehicle accidents can still be unique due to many variable factors. While the engineers may design the vehicle to cope with various accident conditions and protect the occupants, but there will be times when a situation is so unique that the effects are severe.
This is where Volvo’s in-house ‘detectives’ come in; officially known as the Volvo Car Accident Research Team, they investigate actual accidents to obtain information and data so that Volvo can improve the safety of its cars.
Full-time work on investigations
While some other carmakers may have similar investigators or take an interest in some accident cases, Volvo Cars has had its team for the past 50 years as a full-time department, and all round the clock too.
“The Accident Research Team’s hard work and research allows Volvo Cars to make sure that a tragic traffic accident can lead to something good: ever safer cars,” said Malin Ekholm, Head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “By closely analysing what has happened during each phase of an accident, the team provides crucial information on what can be improved on our cars.”
The team has been in operation since 1970 and whenever an accident involving a Volvo car occurs around Gothenburg, Volvo’s home city in Sweden, they quickly get to the scene when notified. As soon as they arrive, they start an investigation and document the sequence of events in as much detail as possible.
Understanding an accident
That means asking questions like how forceful the impact was; how quickly did the active safety systems intervene; how were the passengers; and so on. Other questions may determine weather conditions and even the condition of the road markings and signs. The team requests publicly accessible police reports, contacts the driver and examines the car when possible.
The data is brought back to the office where work continues. The team also tries to understand how the driver experienced the accident, a process that involves the Volvo Cars Safety Centre’s behavioural scientists.
Volvo Cars Safety Centre
Finally, the team will ask the people involved in the accident to share their medical records, which allows them to take note of any injuries sustained. These are analysed by biomechanics experts, in cooperation with physicists, to understand the exact causes of the injury.
Data is analysed and shared
All the data and knowledge collected is coded and ‘depersonalised’, becoming objective information for analysis and future reference. Conclusions from this research are shared with Volvo’s product development teams, who use it to develop and implement new technologies in upcoming cars. The team also identifies things that can’t be solved today, but can be addressed as new technology develops.
Every year, the team investigates around 30-50 accidents in person, but accidents happen all over the world and the scene can be hard to reach. In those cases, and to the degree possible, the detectives work to map out accidents with the support of Volvo personnel and emergency services closer to the site.
“The Accident Research Team is far from the only source of research data for our safety experts, but it plays an important role for us to really understand the details,” adds Malin Ekholm. “Accidents do still happen, but nowadays the consequences are much milder and serious injuries are much rarer than they used to be.”
