Dr Automotive Design and Tools

Robert Llewellyn was invited on a PR trip to visit Volvo in Sweden and have a look at how they crash testing the electric version of the Volvo C30.

Off-road tuning specialist 'Cobra Technology & Lifestyle' has presented its latest line of aftermarket bling for the new Volvo XC60 SUV. The range includes the 'oh so useful for your typical, city-dwelling XC60 owner' stainless-steel front guards and rocker panels with integrated steps. Ironically, all that shiny protective armor can be complemented with a set of 18, 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels

Sleek, elegant, chic and sporty are not words you might normally associate with a 4x4 - and you'd be extremely unlikely to use them all at once to describe the same 4x4. That is until the advent of Volvo's XC60.Volvo XC 60 is offered with both diesel and petrol variant. The main variants that are launched in Indian auto market are Volvo XC 60 3.2 AWD Petrol, 60 T6 AWD Petrol, Diesel, Drive Diesel

XC70 Interior - 8.4 (Very Good):Auto writers note that the 2010 Volvo XC70's cabin is functional, comfortable and practical. "Inside is the Swedish Modern design that has also been a Volvo hallmark in recent years, with a free-standing center stack and excellent seat comfort," writes The Auto Channel. Additionally, the XC70 features a vast amount of cargo room.Volvo rates the base XC70's 3.2-

The 2010 Volvo XC70's safety technology, comfortable seats and large cargo hold make it a practical choice among luxury wagons. However, its lack of power and poor fuel economy are liabilities. In fact, the Orlando Sentinel describes the Volvo XC70 as "the automotive equivalent of a Swiss Army knife: Capable of handling most any task, excelling at none, perhaps, but more than competent at all of

The V6 engine manages to do it's job, coupled to a 6 speed engine with a short shift in the first gear to guarantee a better take off from a full stop, but some reviewers felt that this engine just didn't cut it and Car and Driver commented that "at speeds above 50 mph the engine struggles to motivate the XC90's 4786-pounds and all-wheel drive system." That's not the only problem with the smaller

The XC90 is an affordable family hauler with great seating and excellent crash test scores. While other SUVs may have nice interiors and better performance, the Volvo XC90 has a very low starting price for the class.When it comes to picking the right engine for the 2010 Volvo XC90, experts agree that the 4.4 Liter V8 engine option is the way to go. Unfortunately, the 3.2 liter inline six cylinder

Shoppers looking for a manual transmission will have to look elsewhere. By standardizing the Geartronic transmission, Volvo hoped to appeal to two consumer bases simultaneously: those who want an automatic transmission and those who want a manual transmission. If you’ll never use the Geartronic’s automatic option, the BMW 1-Series, Volkswagen GTI, Volvo C30 and Acura TSX offer manual

So if you are looking for a car that is both kind to the environment while still offering maximum fun to drive appeal, then the Volvo S40 DRIVe edition delivers abundantly on both counts..fullpost { display: inline; } As for power, reviewers say the S40’s engine isn’t impressive when compared to the Volkswagen GTI or BMW 1-Series. Volvo made a wise choice, however, by making the

2010 Volvo Sport Cars Air Motion ConceptAt the Los Angeles Design Challenge Competition, Volvo took the open-air experience at a whole new level with its ‘lighter than a Formula 1 racing car’ study project – the Volvo Air Motion. Besides its strong yet ultra-light body structure, the Air Motion concept cars vehicle further adds to its superlatives eco-friendliness, as it is not using a single

2010 Volvo Sport Cars Air Motion ConceptAt the Los Angeles Design Challenge Competition, Volvo took the open-air experience at a whole new level with its ‘lighter than a Formula 1 racing car’ study project – the Volvo Air Motion. Besides its strong yet ultra-light body structure, the Air Motion concept cars vehicle further adds to its superlatives eco-friendliness, as it is not using a single

2010 Volvo Sport Cars Air Motion ConceptAt the Los Angeles Design Challenge Competition, Volvo took the open-air experience at a whole new level with its ‘lighter than a Formula 1 racing car’ study project – the Volvo Air Motion. Besides its strong yet ultra-light body structure, the Air Motion concept cars vehicle further adds to its superlatives eco-friendliness, as it is not using a single

2010 Volvo Sport Cars Air Motion ConceptAt the Los Angeles Design Challenge Competition, Volvo took the open-air experience at a whole new level with its ‘lighter than a Formula 1 racing car’ study project – the Volvo Air Motion. Besides its strong yet ultra-light body structure, the Air Motion concept cars vehicle further adds to its superlatives eco-friendliness, as it is not using a single

2010 Volvo Sport Cars Air Motion ConceptAt the Los Angeles Design Challenge Competition, Volvo took the open-air experience at a whole new level with its ‘lighter than a Formula 1 racing car’ study project – the Volvo Air Motion. Besides its strong yet ultra-light body structure, the Air Motion concept cars vehicle further adds to its superlatives eco-friendliness, as it is not using a single

GETRAG has secured a contract from Volvo to supply the electric drive unit 1eDT240 for the electric version of the Volvo C30.

Volvo Car Corporation is building up a small fleet of the vehicle in the course of this year. This test fleet serves for research purposes, aiming for a high environmental profile, and will use a leasing model to selected customers such as companies and governmental bodies. So far, the car is not available for end-customers.

Currently the highest-performance single-motor drive unit 1eDT240 in the group's product portfolio uses a permanently excited synchronous machine with a maximum output of 82 kW (at a nominal voltage of the electric energy storage device of 360 volt). The coaxial drive unit was specifically developed for the demanding requirements of virtually silent purely electric driving. It is characterized by the partial integration of the electric motor and therefore for its very compact design.

The development process placed particular emphasis on noise-optimized gearing and very high efficiency. The maximum drive torque of 2,400 Nm offers sufficient traction force to make even sporty acceleration possible. The 1eDT240 drive unit benefits from use of large-scale series production parts from the GETRAG modular system.

If required, the 1eDT240 can also be equipped with a higher-performance electric motor delivering up to 145 kW. It can be supplied in three different transmission ratios.

"The 1eDT240 drive unit can be fitted in a wide variety of electric and hybrid vehicles with front or rear-wheel drive thanks to its compact, versatile design. This unit can cover the entire range from city to sports car and even light truck applications", commented Alexander Strube, Chief Program Engineer for E-Drive at GETRAG.

GETRAG has been active in the field of electric drive systems since 1992 and has already received several series production orders and a large number of development contracts in this area. Several electric-drive test fleets e.g. of the BMW MINI, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL and the Necar Series, have already been equipped with GETRAG drive technology.

After improving a previous world speed record for the standing kilometer in June 2010 with a diesel model, Volvo Trucks is now developing a new diesel-electric hybrid version called "Mean Green" to claim the title of the World's Fastest Hybrid Truck in spring 2011.

A well known Swedish truck racing ace, Boije Ovebrink, is going to be the one to drive the hybrid and he's already very confident of a positive outcome. "I'd go so far as to say that 'Mean Green' is the world's fastest hybrid truck," Mr. Ovebrink said.

"I started building the truck from two half frames that had been earmarked for the scrap yard and the American VN cab came from a crash-tested chassis whose cab was totally intact," explains Volvo engineer Olof Johansson.

Conventional oomph comes from a 16-liter Volvo engine, fitted with Volvo Penta twin turbos that increase peak output to a whopping 1,900 hp (1,417 kW). The electric motor adds another 200 hp (149 kW) and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque to this explosive cocktail and can interact with the driven wheels through a modified I-Shift automated gearbox.

Weight reduction is crucial when you want to set these kinds of records, so Volvo engineers milled a new, 43 kg (95 lbs) lighter front axle and also removed the gear set for the first gear, as it was rendered useless by the huge amount of torque. That shaved off another 7 kg.

Even Mr. Ovebrink takes part in these weight-saving efforts. " They made me promise to lose 20 kilos and, so far, I'm half-way to my target," said the truck racing driver.

The first test runs will take place this month, so we'll be keeping an eye open for any updates

Zoned climate control gives a degree (actually, quite a few degrees) of heating/cooling versatility and clean cabin air using filtration and Volvo's Clean Zone Interior Package, an innovative air-purging system.Following a series of leaks the past few days that didn't leave anything to our imagination, Volvo came out with an official release regarding its all-new XC60 compact SUV/Crossover.

In a press conference at Paris Motor Show on Thursday September 30, Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars stated that the future for Volvo lies in electric cars.

"We will set a standard in the industry," Jacoby said, revealing that the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric will go into production in 2011.

Le Mondial Automobile in Paris is the first international motor show for Stefan Jacoby in his new position. He joined Volvo Cars as President & CEO on 16 August.

In Paris, Volvo Cars displays the new sports wagon V60 to the public for the first time, alongside with the sporty R-Design version of both the S60 sedan and the V60.

During the press conference in the Volvo stand, Stefan Jacoby emphasised the importance of electrification. Present in the stand is the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric, a sporty car that runs purely on electricity and has a range of 150 kilometres on a single charge.

The C30 DRIVe Electric will go into production in early 2011 and run in test fleets in Europe, China and the US.

Stefan Jacoby also stated that Volvo Cars will have a plug-in hybrid on offer in 2012, combining an electric power with a diesel hybrid power train. The Volvo plug-in hybrid will have ultra low CO2 emissions, below 50 grams CO2/km.

"We move into the future with the aspiration to design vehicles with minimised environmental impact, as well as the ambition to produce the world's safest cars," Stefan Jacoby said.


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