Volvo 2014 Annual Report Download - page 43

Greenway Services, a carrier specialized
in deliveries by all-electric vehicles has
been serving its entire client base by
Renault Trucks Maxity Electric vehicles
since 2011. The vehicles making up
the fl eet have already covered over
220,000 kilometers to date in
Paris and its suburbs.
220,000
electric
kilometers
in Paris
Off Peak, aims to test nightly deliveries with reduced noise and
emissions, at the same time as increasing effi ciency in the trans-
port system. The tests and evaluation will continue until 2016.
A fl eet of ten Renault Trucks Maxity Electric vehicles have cov-
ered more than 220,000 kilometers in Paris and its suburbs for
Greenway Service. The fully electric Renault Trucks Maxity Elec-
tric is a perfect solution for distribution and refuse applications,
since it does not emit any exhaust fumes and is very quiet.
Renewable and alternative fuels
The use of renewable fuels is an essential part in order to realize
sustainable transport solutions. The transport sector is heavily
dependent on one single energy source, fossil crude oil, and fi nd-
ing alternatives to reduce climate impact and secure supply is
important from both a business and an environmental perspec-
tive. The Volvo Group’s priorities when it comes to alternative
fuels are electricity, methane (as natural gas or biogas) and
Dimethylether (DME).
Today the Volvo Group has a number of products that can run
on methane. During the year Volvo Trucks launched a Com-
pressed Natural Gas (CNG) Volvo FE Truck for Europe and we are
continuing to develop liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) products for the
European market. On the North American market we have a
range of products for methane.
Volvo Construction Equipment has delivered A25G Hauler
front units to a project partner for rebuilding into snow sweepers.
Volvo Penta is supplying the engines for the hydraulic system pro-
pelling the brush and blow function. The two snow sweeper
engines have a methane diesel function powered by diesel and
biogas. The combination of the diesel engine effi ciency and the
environmental benefi ts from the biogas makes the engine signifi -
cantly more energy-effi cient compared to spark ignited gas
engines.
A fi eld trail with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO) has been
running successfully in Sweden and we are taking steps to bring
products to market that can use this new type of fuel.
DME is a highly energy-effi cient and easy to use alternative
fuel that brings promising economic benefi ts and up to 97%
reduction of greenhouse gases when produced from biomass. In
addition, a DME engine generates no soot particulates.
Field tests with DME are currently running in Sweden and North
America. The fi rst market going for commercialization is North
America and movements in the market and stakeholder interest in
DME is monitored carefully. A commercialization date has not
been established.
Product and traffi c safety
Safety has been a guiding star for the Volvo Group since 1927.
Our vision is to achieve zero accidents with the Volvo Group’s
products. To work towards this vision, systems that reduce the
consequences of crashes or even prevent accidents from hap-
pening in the fi rst place, are continuously developed.
The Volvo Group’s future product development focuses on
active safety technologies and passive safety features that meet
increasingly more complex and demanding accident scenarios.
This involves a particular emphasis on emergency braking, vehicle
stability, visibility support, lane keeping support and occupant
protection in the cab.
Approximately 90% of all traffi c accidents involve human fac-
tors. Inattention, resulting from fatigue or distraction, is one of the
most common causes. Volvo’s approach to these critical safety
concerns is to provide an effi cient, comfortable and non-distracting
way of interacting with the vehicle. In addition, Volvo offers driver
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A GLOBAL GROUP 2014 BUSINESS MODEL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT