The Volvo Owners Club

Volvo's Environmental Record

1945 Volvo starts remanufacturing using used car parts
1972 Global environmental conference in Stockholm: Volvo raises critical role of the car in society
1974 Oxidising catalytic converter – forerunner of today's units
1976 Three-way catalytic converter with Lambda sensor removes up to 90% of noxious exhaust gases
1982 Torslanda plant begins to use waste heat from local oil refinery
1987 Torslanda water treatment plant removes 90% of harmful effluents
1989 Volvo adopts new, proactive environmental policy
1989 Volvo introduces Life-cycle assessment using EPS (Environmental Priority Strategies in product design)
1989 Volvo demonstrates technology for alcohol power: the cleanest car ever tested
1989 Volvo introduces internal environmental audits
1989 Plastic materials in Volvo cars marked to facilitate recycling
1991 Volvo shows the first CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) car
1991 Paintshop at Torslanda plant is world's cleanest
1992 Volvo ECC (Environmental Concept Car) unveiled – a trendsetter for environmental cars of the future
1992 Asbestos eliminated from car production
1993 CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) deleted from the air conditioning systems of all new production Volvo cars
1994 ECRIS, a new research facility for environmentally optimised dismantling
1995 Volvo Bi-Fuel, the first generation of Volvo's cars built to run on methane gas
1995 Introduction of standards to improve dealers' environmental activities
1995 Volvo launches Car & Eco Care, a range of car-care products with a low ecological impact
1996 Volvo's Dialogue on the environment course provides training for all employees in environmental issues
1996 Volvo introduces environmental requirements for suppliers
1998 Volvo introduces PremAir® – a radiator coating which can convert harmful ground-level ozone into pure oxygen
1998 Volvo Cars is world's first carmaker to introduce EPIs (Environmental Product Information) for cars
1999 Introduction of new Interior Air Quality System (IAQS)
1999 Tenth award of Volvo Environment Prize
2000 ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) tailpipe technology available worldwide
2001 New generation of Bi-Fuel cars introduced
2002 Volvo Adventure – our environmental programme for young people
2002 PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) engine introduced in California
2002 New Volvo Cars designed for 85% recoverability
2003 Volvo Cars achieves global ISO 14001 certification
2004 Introduction of particulate filters for diesel engines
2004 First V8 engine in the world to fulfill ULEV II
2004 Volvo 3CC – a sustainable mobility concept for the future
2004 First Volvo car under 5 litre/100 km – the S40 1.6D manual
2005 Volvo S40/V50 FlexiFuel cars built to run on renewable (E85) ethanol
2006 Clean Zone Interior Package (CZIP) for asthma and allergy sufferers recommended by Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association

Related Topic: Volvo's Safety Innovations