Volvo is ready for Bi-Fuel boost

A new initiative from the EU Commission may boost European sales of cars powered by alternative fuels.

This initiative comes as good news for Volvo Car Corporation in Sweden.

Hans-Olov Olsson

"We are ahead of the competition. Most Volvo cars are already available in a Bi-Fuel version with the latest generation gas/petrol engine. So we are ready if the decision makers in EU make a move", says Hans-Olov Olsson, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.

The EU Commission presented the new paper in December 2001. The three main drivers of the initiative are:

• Make Europe less dependant on oil.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Create new agricultural opportunities for present and future EU members.

The recommended fuels include biofuels, compressed natural gas and hydrogen. According to the paper, the number of cars powered by these fuels should be no less than 20 percent of the total car population in 2020.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will be the most common fuel with a 10 percent share. This means that some 25 million European cars would be powered by CNG in 2020.

"Annual sales in Europe would need to go from the present 40-50.000 level to almost 4 million. This means that the market potential may become huge for the company with the right product offer. I think that our competitors will have a tough time to keep up with us since we already have a vast experience and an extensive range of CNG cars", says Hans-Olov Olsson.

Major benefits for the buyer
The no-compromise Bi-Fuel concept offers better environmental properties and lower running costs than other Volvo cars.

The true premium car experience in a Bi-Fuel car naturally also includes world-class safety, unchanged loading capacity and access to a full range of personal specifications.

"Cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles are important parts of our ´Clean Inside and Out' environmental concept. It also includes eco-branded interiors and filter systems that make the air inside the car cleaner than the air outside", says Hans-Olov Olsson.

Unique offer
Volvo Car Corporation's new Bi-Fuel engines run on gas, using petrol as a reserve fuel - no other car manufacturer can match this offer:

The 2.4-litre, five-cylinder Bi-Fuel engine for the Volvo S80, Volvo V70 and Volvo S60 are available in two variants: one powered by methane (natural gas or biogas) and one that runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The maximum power is 140 bhp both on gas and petrol. The Volvo S40 and V40 are available with a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder Bi-Fuel engine running on LPG. The output is 120 bhp in LPG mode and 122 bhp when driving on petrol.

When running on petrol, the Volvo S80 and Volvo V70 Bi-Fuel already meet the stringent EU 2005 tail pipe emission requirements - and when running on gas the emission levels are even lower.

The gas tanks are located under the floor. This provides the owner access to the same load space as in the petrol and diesel powered versions.

Quick "pay back"
The price of the gas powered system makes the initial price of the car higher. The growing focus on the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions, on the other hand, has led in several countries to incentives supporting the build-up of new alternative fuel infrastructures.

Driving on gas offers considerably reduced running costs - and the higher purchase price is quickly "paid back" through the lower fuel costs. The average taxi driver reaches the break-even level after six months.

Depending on the market, the cost of driving on natural gas is 30-60 percent lower than running on petrol and between 20 and 40 percent lower than diesel.

www.volvocars.com