Volvo is leading the race among the automakers in Europe when it comes to decreasing the CO2 emissions, as revealed in the sixth yearly analysis performed by T&E, the European Federation for Transport and Environment. Stefan Jacoby, CEO and President of Volvo Car Corporation, said that they are delighted and “very proud” of the result, adding that they are following their “ambitious plan,” which focuses on carbon dioxide emissions reduction. Eight of Europe’s biggest vehicle manufacturers had slashed their CO2 emissions by around two to six percent in 2010. However, Volvo Car Corporation beat them all, with a CO2 emissions drop of at least nine percent. This is the result of a serious environmental emphasis under the “DRIVe towards zero” campaign. Sales of fuel-efficient diesel engines from the DRIVe lineup have been remarkably high and have contributed to the major decrease in CO2 emissions. Samples of popular models include the V70 DRIVe with emissions of 119 g/km and the V50 DRIVe with 99 g/km. Volvo’s CO2 approach includes electrified automobiles with various levels of hybridization, more efficient petrol and diesel engines, and alternative energy sources.
Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo, shared that the goal is to bring down emissions to an average of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer all over the company’s total vehicle sales in 2020. He added that it is entirely feasible in theory, but it will depend on the developments in incentives, legislation, energy availability and customer demand. He further stated that the EU intends to launch a new strategy for calculating carbon dioxide, a method that will affect its plan too.
