Sustainability ‘Simply Eco-logical’ to Young Environmentalists

15 national teams of young environmentalists from all over the world will congregate in Gothenburg, Sweden next week for the seventh Volvo Adventure World Final with US$20,000 of prize money on the line for environmental excellence.

From hundreds of projects in more than 50 countries around the world submitted on-line by the 31st January 2008 deadline the Volvo Adventure judges have selected a shortlist of 15 finalists, each of whom will be chasing the US$10,000 first prize to invest in their project.

2005 Volvo Adventure champions Ladysmith Enviro Club from South Africa return to the scene of their earlier triumph with a new project, ‘Cars! Fuel! Carbon!’ whilst ever-present India, USA, China, Turkey and Brazil are joined by newcomers from Hungary, Macedonia and the tiny Indian Ocean island of Comoros.

Olle Axelson, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Volvo Car Corporation, who presented the winner’s cheque to Indonesia in 2007 adds, “Volvo already supports the Volvo Environment Prize and it was both logical and prescient that the Volvo Adventure was added to our environmental portfolio to encourage the adults of tomorrow to engage, enhance, imagine and innovate.”

With US$10,000 to the winner, US$6,000 to the runner-up and US$4,000 to the third placed team, competition will be intense but so too will collaboration as Wayne Talbot, the Volvo Adventure Educational Director explains.

“Every year, the bar is raised higher still and these young people come to Gothenburg to present their projects in what is a remarkable fusion of rivalry and synergy,” he says.

Now into its seventh year and endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Volvo Adventure has engaged with and encouraged around 250,000 youngsters in over 50 nations as diverse as China and Canada, Australia and America, Ecuador and Egypt.

“The key ingredient in the ongoing success of the Volvo Adventure is the commitment to and passion for the environment by the thousands of youngsters who take part each year,” says Siv Persson of WWF, the 2008 Volvo Adventure Jury Chairman, adding, “The clarity of their thinking, their challenging of the issues and the creativity of their sustainable solutions are what mark these young environmentalists out as being very special indeed.”

The 15 teams arrive in Gothenburg from all points of the compass on Friday 9th May with their project presentations taking place in front of an invited audience on Monday 12th May and the identity of the winners revealed at a special awards ceremony on Tuesday 13th May 2008.

In addition to the business end of the Volvo Adventure, a social and cultural programme includes a visit to Gothenburg’s award-winning Universeum, the Volvo Car Plant and the traditional ‘Volvo Forest Adventure,’ at Hällsnäs on the outskirts of the city.

“The environmental exchange is vital to the Volvo Adventure and the spirit of teamwork between nations in the ‘Volvo Adventure Workshop,’ is a revelation,” says Kikki Hugestrand, Volvo Adventure Project Manager, who adds, “These teenagers arrive as adolescents and leave as young adults having made friends and environmental partners during their stay with us.”

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www.volvoadventure.org

www.unep.org

www.volvocars.com

www.volvo.com

Notes to Editors:

* The Volvo brand and the Volvo Adventure are shared between Volvo Cars and Volvo Group.
* The Volvo brand has three core values, Quality, Safety and Environmental Care.
* The Volvo Environment Prize, now in its 19th year is awarded annually by an independent foundation to the person / persons judged to have made the most significant contribution in the fields of environmental and sustainability studies and related initiatives. It carries with it an award of SEK1.5million (approx US$250,000 / €160.000).
* Editors are invited to send reporters and photographers to any part of the Volvo Adventure and content is especially relevant to environment, youth and education correspondents.
* Full background material, interviewees and royalty-free imagery is available for preview features

• For further information please contact: Maria Bohlin, Volvo Car Corporation

Alphabetic list of the 15 2008 Volvo Adventure World Finalists

* Australia - No Plastic Bags for Armstrong Street
* Brazil - São José-Garra School, Tupinambás

Ecological Action / Carbon Credits

* Canada - Vincent Massey Collegiate Sustainable Development

Committee - Energetic Energy Education

* China - Shanghai Roots & Shoots

Eco-Office Evaluation Program

* Comoros - Junior Ecoguards

Project Nyamba - Protecting Endangered Sea Turtles

* Ecuador - Young for Life

Cycle Marching

* Egypt - New Generation

Electricity Mystery

* Hungary - Mirage

Protection of our Lick Vegetataion in Zsáka

* India - Nature Bodies Bharat Mata E/M Secondary School

No Stagnation / No Mosquitoes

* Lebanon - American Community School, Beirut

Sustainability in the Cafeteria

* Macedonia - Green Action

The Last water Buffalo in Macedonia

* Russia - Green Sail

The Second Life of Park ‘Dubky’

* South Africa - Ladysmith Enviro Club

Cars! Fuel! Carbon!

* Turkey - Avcilar Anadolu Teknik Lisesi, Teknik Lise ve Endüstri Meslek Lisesi

Let’s Delete Disasters by Gaining Papers & Batteries

* USA - Boy Scouts of America, Troop 5

Get the Lead Out of Fishing

For further details on each project, go to; www.volvoadventure.org/projectsfinalists

The new Volvo V70 R-DESIGN - loaded with refined options

The best-selling Volvo V70 becomes the fifth Volvo model to be offered with the sporty factory-fitted R-Design option pack. This further cements Volvo Cars’ aim to offer unique products to particularly discerning customers.

The Volvo V70 estate car is for many people the very essence of Volvo: practical, safe and exuding Scandinavian elegance. The R-Design pack spotlights a new dimension: impassioned, extrovert and challenging.

“Increasing numbers of customers want cars that express individual taste and style. Volvo Cars has therefore created the R-Design option pack to add a refined sporty look to the other attractive characteristics of our products,” says Gerry Keaney, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars.

Comprehensive package

The R-Design pack for the Volvo V70 boasts a wide range of eye-catching features. For example door mirror housings and grille detailing in silk metal finish, chrome exhaust tailpipe and specially designed 18-inch aluminium wheels. On the inside it is primarily the purposeful, sporty leather-clad seats in black and cool Nordic Ceramic Light that catch the eye - together with the various aluminium details. From the instrument panel’s aluminium inlays to the centre console and door sides, there is a milled circular décor pattern that spreads like ripples in water.

“The décor pattern in the aluminium details gives the interior a very special, modern character. The pattern symbolises how the dynamic R-Design characterises the entire car, linking together the seats’ ribbed surfaces and the exterior’s multitude of detailing in a silk metal finish,” says Maria Thunberg, manager of Colour & Trim, Volvo V70 R-Design.

Optimised sports chassis

Volvo R-Design not only offers visible detailing, it packs properties that simply have to be experienced out on the road. The sporty chassis offers plenty of driving pleasure and immense control in every situation. The sports chassis has been optimised with the help of features such as stiffer anti-roll bars and bushings and lower ground clearance for more direct road contact and more responsive and rewarding steering feedback.

“The big challenge with this project the R-Design chassis was to combine crisp driving pleasure with Volvo’s renowned secure properties in poor road conditions such as heavy rain or snow. I’m convinced we’ve found exactly the right balance,” says Ekkehard Schwartz, Vice President Chassis and Vehicle Dynamics.

The whole package - Volvo V70 R-DESIGN

* Grille in silk metal finish with R-Design emblem.
* Foglamp décor at the front in silk metal finish.
* Door-mirror housings in silk metal finish.
* Five-spoke 18-inch aluminium wheels - Cratus.
* Black anodised window mouldings made of aluminium.
* Tailgate spoiler in the same colour as the body.
* Chromed visible exhaust tailpipe, 90 mm diameter,
* Rear colour-matched spoiler with black insert.
* Sports chassis: lowered 20 mm front and 15 mm rear.
* 11 exterior colours to choose between.
* Sports seats reinforced with extra foam padding in the seat and backrest cushions for added stability and comfort.
* Combined instrument with blue dial faces unique to R-Design cars.
* Sports steering wheel trimmed in perforated leather and R-Design emblem.
* Sports pedals made of aluminium.
* Upholstery of smooth leather in Off-Black and Ceramic Light colour combination, embossed with the R-Design emblem in the backrest.
* Specially designed centre console and unique décor pattern.
* Gear selector trimmed in perforated leather.
* Off-Black sports mats.

To further emphasise its sportiness, the car has no rails on the roof. These are however available as factory options for those buyers who wish to specify them.

R-DESIGN for the C30, S40, V50 and XC90

R-Design for the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 allows customers to choose between 10 different exterior colours and a range of specially designed exterior and interior details. For instance colour-matched bumpers and lower side mouldings, leather-trimmed steering wheel with R-Design emblem, a unique combined instrument and seats upholstered in black Flex-Tec with the seat and backrest cushions in contrasting cream-coloured leather.

The R-Design pack for the Volvo XC90 was introduced in early 2008 and replaced the optional XC90 Sport pack. Among the new R-Design details are 20-inch wheels (optional), twin exhaust tailpipes, a unique skid-plate, door-mirror housings in silk metal finish and R-Design emblems in the grille, on the steering wheel and embossed into the seats.

Emotional and extrovert

“R-Design is entirely in line with our accelerating focus on making our cars more extrovert and emotional. The packages allow buyers the option of giving the already distinct personalities of these models added spice,” says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin.

Milestone customers pack for a dream trip

Here are the happy owners of Volvo number 15,000,000. Aimee and Paul Kay bought a piece of Volvo history when their C70 was delivered in San Diego - and to top it all off the couple get to travel to Göteborg in Sweden and visit Volvo’s Torslanda factory.

The 15th million Volvo was transported more than 8000 kilometres from the Volvo factory in Uddevalla to San Diego on the US west coast. In early May, Aimee and Paul Kay picked up their prized new purchase, a Celestial Blue C70, from dealer Wes Hinkle.

“We first saw the C70 at the Auto Show and fell in love with it. We went back and forth and finally we said the time was right,” relates Paul Kay.

And the time really was right. Because it turns out that their particular convertible is the 15th million Volvo to be built. The fact is that the very first car Volvo ever built was also a convertible - an ÖV4 made in 1927.

“Volvo Cars is proud of what the brand stands for,” says Gregor Hembrough, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for Volvo Cars of North America, who was present when the car was delivered to Paul and Aimee.

As an extra bonus, the couple get air tickets to Göteborg, hotel accommodation and a visit to the factory - just like those customers who get their cars delivered specially as part of the American Overseas Delivery programme. The difference for Aimee and Paul, of course, is that they have already taken delivery of their new car back home.

Award to Volvo Cars for unique load-anchoring system

Volvo Cars came out top in Britain’s Power of Aluminium Awards for the company’s new load-anchoring system installed in the new XC70 and V70. “The system with its embedded eyelets is unique. It means a lot to Volvo Cars that we have won this award,” says Karin Lejonbäck, group manager at the Interior & Climate department.

Set into the floor of the luggage compartment of the new XC70 and V70 are load rails made of aluminium. Running in the rails are four sliding hooks or eyelets that are used to secure cargo.

What is unique about this solution is that the eyelets lie flush with the floor’s surface when they are not in use, they can be moved steplessly and they are self-locking in the raised position when in use.

The Power of Aluminium Awards ranks the concept very highly - it was given first prize in the Transport category. The award was presented recently at a ceremony in Warwick in England.

“This is the first time Volvo Cars has received this award. We have also made it to the next round of this year’s Henry Ford Technology Award, an internal innovation contest, with this function,” relates Karin Lejonbäck.

The solution is developed in cooperation with aluminium profile supplier Sapa.

Singles date (in) Volvo models “Down Under”

Single, looking for a date - and ready to meet your soul-mate in a Volvo? Go to Sydney. That’s where the world’s first “speed dating” in Volvo models has just taken place.

Volvo Car Australia is employing an unusual tactic together with dating specialist Fast Impressions - speed dating in Volvos! In March, twenty of Sydney’s sexy singletons were offered the unique opportunity to participate in Australia’s first ‘test drive dating’ event.

The concept was simple: guests were chauffeur driven to a dealership (in Volvos of course!) and given eight minutes in the front seats of Volvo’s range of stylish Swedish models to meet their perfect match. After the speed dating event, participants were taken to a top bar in Sydney to continue partying at an exclusive Fast Impressions event with hundreds of other singles.

“To the best of our knowledge this is a world-first. It gives us an opportunity to create a buzz around the brand by promoting our cars in an unconventional way,” says Matt Braid, marketing director, Volvo Car Australia.

The photograph above shows Craig Spence, 32, and Gina Carmody, 29. They were two of the participants in the unconventional high-speed dating service.
“Talking about Volvo was a good way to get the conversation going,” says Craig Spence.

Although Gina Carmody didn’t know a thing about cars before the event, she admitted that her attitude to cars had changed as a result of her unusual dating venture.

Volvo Australia and Fast Impressions will consider expanding the ‘Test Drive Dating’ events to more locations around Sydney and Melbourne in the near future.