Volvo has received a new order for 125 trucks from Vijay Leasing Company in Hydreabad, India, to be delivered this summer which will be used in coal and steel mines for Southern India. At the moment, Vijay Leasing Co. already has 108 Volvo trucks under its fleet.

In Volvo Trucks’ full ten-year presence in India, this is the largest order ever and a milestone, according to Pär Östberg, member of Volvo’s Group Executive Management and President of Trucks Asia. There are a total of 5,500 Volvo trucks in India, which is the world’s fourth largest truck market.

“In India, Volvo Trucks belongs to the premium segment and has secured a place as the leading manufacturer in terms of safety and environmental responsibility”, says Pär Östberg. “We have a solid customer base, very strong customer relationships and the best aftermarket solutions”.

The sale is being conducted through VE Commercial Vehicles, which is a joint-venture launched in 2008 between Volvo and the Indian company, Eicher Motors. VE Commercial Vehicles comprises Eicher Motor’s trucks and buses, and the Volvo Group’s truck sales and service network for trucks and buses.

(Source) Press

Tags: aftermarket solutions, buses, commercial vehicles, eicher motor, environmental responsibility, fleet, joint venture, leasing company, southern india, Volvo, volvo group, volvo trucks

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Volvo is shifting into high gear for their fuel cell technology venture, possibly creating additional jobs in Stockholm if everything goes according to plan. Swedish Energy Agency and the Volvo Group are investing SEK 200 M in Volvo’s development of fuel cells. The investment will create around 100 new positions in the Gothenburg region within the next three years.

In the autumn of 2009, Powercell Sweden will need to hire around 60 people in an entirely new plant in the Gothenburg region. Per Wassén, who is Investment Director at Volvo Technology Transfer and chairman of Powercell Sweden AB, foresees that the company will create around 100 new jobs within the next three years.

With the growing need for alternative energy and fuel for various means but largely for vehicles, fuel cell technology can truly be a big help towards the efforts of local motorists and car companies. A fuel cell resembles a small battery. It is charged with hydrogen gas and converts this into electricity, water and carbon dioxide through a chemical reaction.

The areas of use can be power supply units for households, trucks, boats, radio masts in remote locations and electric hybrid vehicles. Compared with normal diesel or gas-powered engines, fuel cells produce significantly less carbon dioxide and no emissions at all of particulates and nitrogen oxides. In addition, they are more efficient, smaller and lighter.

(Source) Press

Tags: Alternative Energy, car companies, carbon dioxide, chemical reaction, energy agency, fuel cell technology, fuel cells, gothenburg region, hybrid vehicles, hydrogen gas, investment director, jobs in stockholm, motorists, new jobs, nitrogen oxides, particulates, powercell, radio masts, technology venture, volvo group

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Volvo has been constantly on the news, mostly catering to the trucks needed in the various sectors of business the past days. Now it announces new proprietary medium-heavy engines slated to come out this 2010. With the weakened demand for trucks, the need to cut cost in getting engines from suppliers is evident. Hence, with an in-house production, the issue of inventory storage cost can be addressed as well as deteriorating quality for trucks distribution.

In his presentation, Mikael Bratt, CFO of the Volvo Group, described the measures being implemented throughout the Group to reduce cost levels and improve cash flow. He also said that the Volvo Group has high liquidity reserves despite the sharp economic downturn, and that the company has an advantageous loan structure with few loans maturing in the next two years. Furthermore, with its global presence, the Group has excellent opportunities for raising loans on the capital market.

This measure is seen as something similar to the cost-cutting measures that most auto companies are undertaking these days. And with Volvo being a reliable brand and yet getting the cheap end of demands, wiser management strategies need to be implemented as well.

(Source) Press

Tags: auto companies, cash flow, economic downturn, global presence, inventory storage, liquidity, loan structure, Loans, management strategies, measures, sectors of business, trucks, Volvo, volvo group

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Volvo Hybrid Buses hit the streets first in Goteborg, providing a first as far as the Volvo brand is concerned outside that of private transportation means. The Göteborgs Spårvägar transit company is participating in a field test with the hybrid bus that provides major fuel savings as a result of electric drive and shutting off the diesel engine at bus stops.

Environmental issues are high on the agenda among politicians in Göteborg and this applies to a great extent within traffic policy. There are distinct environmental demands the entire way from the politicians in the traffic committee, through the officials at the city’s Traffic Office and those responsible for procurement at the Västtrafik county public services agency to the operators, including Göteborgs Spårvägar.

Hybrid solutions for heavy vehicles have existed for many years, but they have been too expensive and reduced emissions too little, as a result of which they did not achieve market penetration. The Volvo Group’s new hybrid technology changes this. The company has developed a technology that is common for buses, trucks and construction equipment. In this manner, the Group secures large component volumes and subsequently lower costs.

Volvo’s hybrid technology contributes to a quieter and cleaner city environment. Fuel consumption, and consequently the emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, is reduced by up to 30% depending on where the bus is operating in traffic. The emission of nitrous oxides and particles declines by 40-50% compared with a conventional diesel bus.

In the near future, Volvo Buses will also start field tests with the first of six hybrid double-decker buses in London.

(Source) Press

Tags: city environment, diesel bus, double decker buses, environmental demands, fuel consumption, gas carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas, hybrid bus, hybrid buses, hybrid solutions, hybrid technology, market penetration, nitrous oxides, traffic committee, traffic office, volvo brand, volvo buses, volvo group

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