A quick dive into the world of Volvo
05 Jul 2024|1,860 views
It's the middle of June in the Northern hemisphere, so right on the cusp of summer. Long beautiful sunny days, breezy t-shirt weather, birds chirping in the air. Sounds about right, no?
Except of course, Gothenburg has other ideas (as I'm all too familiar). 13o Celcius, 15km/h winds blowing, spots of light drizzle, and no sight of the sun in the sky. A dreary grey all around.
Welcome to Gothenburg?
A place called home
Gothenburg, Sweden is where Volvo calls home. The last stop on my brief two-day visit is to Volvo Cars Torslanda - the company's global headquarters. And the place is decidedly… work-like. You get no fancy buildings or big bright signs. Instead, you're mostly greeted by white and blue concrete boxes topped with grey roofs, and it feels rather sedate.
Although I guess being understated is something of a Scandinavian hallmark. Packed within these unassuming boxes is in fact crucial parts of the Volvo apparatus - within reside a trove of technology and departments that inform the cars of today and tomorrow. We toured the Battery Lab, Driving Dynamics Simulator, Exploration and Enabling Labs, as well as the brand's Wind Tunnel.
Expectedly, as the brand pivots towards full electrification, batteries are a hugely important part of the car-designing and car-making process. The Battery Lab is when these batteries are designed and developed in-house, and subsequently go through extensive testing - from cell level all the way up to the entire battery pack. Within complex metal containers laced with wires and screens, the batteries can be tested at wide-ranging temperatures and humidity levels, ensuring that they continue to work well no matter the eventual car's final destination.
Batteries are but one part of the equation, though. When it comes to how cars are designed, a lot of work is done digitally. In the Exploration and Enabling Labs, digital models are first created, which can be explored using virtual reality. This can subsequently be integrated into the physical world, first with a static setup, and then with an actual driveable vehicle with the use of an augmented reality setup, or what Volvo calls 'extended reality'. This allows designers to explore components like the infotainment system, dashboard, button locations, and even interior colours - all done in a virtual-first environment.
The Driving Dynamics Simulator serves a similar digital function - allowing engineers to prototype and test various engineering solutions without having to build physical products. The idea, of course, is to both streamline and shorten the model development process - digital models are cheaper and quicker to build.
But real-world testing of course will have to happen. The Wind Tunnel has the obvious purpose of evaluating a car's aerodynamic performance. But perhaps more significant (and probably more famous for Volvo) is its Safety Centre, home to its crash testing facility. It's likely you've seen videos on Youtube: Two cars being run into each other, caught in ultra slow-mo. And it's not just about testing the safety credentials of its new, upcoming models. Volvo also uses the facility to recreate situations using real-world data, and thus serve as a research tool to generate new learnings that can be further applied in the future. This dedication to utmost safety should come as no surprise from the brand that pioneered the three-point seatbelt and Side Impact Protection System, among other safety innovations.
If I'm being fully honest, this isn't perhaps to most exciting or headline-grabbing aspect of car development (at least to the non-nerds out there). In some ways, these are the "dull" behind-the-scenes work that eventually result in the shiny new things presented at motor shows. But in fact, these are arguably the most important parts - ensuring that the cars are safe, function as designed, and meet the set objectives of the manufacturer. It may not be particular 'sexy', but it is vitally important.
Shiny new things
But Volvo's presence in Gothenburg isn't limited to mostly grey/white/blue office buildings and manufacturing facilities. In fact, the brand's newest development is actually a gigantic shiny new building - the recently opened World of Volvo. Located in downtown Gothenburg, this expansive new space is aesthetically far removed from its Torslanda facilities. It's still very much Scandi in look and feel, but the material palette comprises mainly wood and glass, and most certainly packs that wow factor.
It's fitting that my visit to World of Volvo, two days before, is on a bright and sunny day, a far cry from the dreary weather to follow. With daylight piercing through the glass expanses even until dinner concluded at 10:00pm, the mood was cheery and upbeat as we visited the exhibition section (the building also houses numerous conference rooms, work spaces, and even a restaurant).
The current exhibition traces the roots and heritage of the Volvo brand across a variety of vehicles - not just cars, but trucks, buses, construction equipment, even boats. From the very first Volvo car made, the 1927 ÖV 4, to a particular P1800 that holds the record for highest mileage ever (more than 3.2 million miles, and counting; the car still gets occasionally driven), from heavy duty trucks to quixotic concept vehicles like the Safety Concept Car and the Elbil (an EV concept built in 1976!), it is a wide-ranging history lesson that charts the evolution of the brand.
The march forward
Modern Volvos have some a long way since the early days, though some qualities still resonate strongly. The hyper-boxy styling of earlier Volvos have given way to sharper, more futuristic designs (though a certain boxy resonance remains, which we appreciate), but one thing that has perhaps not changed at all is the brand's commitment to utmost safety.
Inflatable curtains, side impact airbags, roll-over protection system, blind-spot information system, on to more modern systems like pedestrian detection with braking. These may not have quite the dramatic panache of a brand executive throwing a metal ball at a supposedly bulletproof window of a Cybertruck (that didn't work out so well), but it's illuminating to see the extensive work that goes into the development of Volvo cars.
A day-long test drive with a variety of new Volvo models proved as much. Having had a chance to drive two variants of the new EX30, an EX40 and a XC90 across a variety of roads around Gothenburg, it's clear the level of deliberate choices that result in the quality of these cars.
As the everything Volvo, the XC90 is of course the pinnacle of Volvo luxury and quality - it feels borderline palatial, packed to the gills with opulent features. The EX40, too, retains a particular robust and stout feel about it. It is certainly more of an every-man's car, but still radiates an air of assurance.
But, the Volvo brand is evolving, and its cars along with it. The EX30, while retaining many Volvo hallmarks, represents a clear move into the future. With more vibrant and youthful energy, it takes aim at bringing a new generation of car owners into the brand. The design elements too, from the exterior surface to the new-generation interior, have a more adventurous and bold spirit about them.
And, on a larger scale, the same is true for the brand. Beyond just the new Chinese bosses in the form of the Geely Group, the Volvo brand is making its own transformation - all Volvos will be fully electric by 2030, and the brand is ramping up towards a technology and modernity-forward future.
Image and perception are powerful things. While perhaps not explicitly saying it, it's evident that Volvo wants to embrace change - a move onwards from a more conservative approach to one that presents as more energetic and exciting, all while never losing sight of core brand values.
The march of change is unceasing, but not singular in rhythm. I spent half a year in Gothenburg 11 years ago, and coming back 11 years later, a lot actually looks and feels the same. The same trams, the same shops, even the theme park looks virtually unchanged.
But change is there. For example, Gothenburg is in the midst of building its first underground train stations. That may sound preposterous in the 21st century, but Gothenburg sits on soft clay, so underground construction was never a very viable option. But dealing with the needs of continuing urbanisation necessitates new solutions, and improving technology makes it possible.
Similarly, the Volvo brand marches forward with change. And while there are no guarantees about the future, at least one thing is clear - it’s going to be different, and it will be excitingly electrified.
It's the middle of June in the Northern hemisphere, so right on the cusp of summer. Long beautiful sunny days, breezy t-shirt weather, birds chirping in the air. Sounds about right, no?
Except of course, Gothenburg has other ideas (as I'm all too familiar). 13o Celcius, 15km/h winds blowing, spots of light drizzle, and no sight of the sun in the sky. A dreary grey all around.
Welcome to Gothenburg?
A place called home
Gothenburg, Sweden is where Volvo calls home. The last stop on my brief two-day visit is to Volvo Cars Torslanda - the company's global headquarters. And the place is decidedly… work-like. You get no fancy buildings or big bright signs. Instead, you're mostly greeted by white and blue concrete boxes topped with grey roofs, and it feels rather sedate.
Although I guess being understated is something of a Scandinavian hallmark. Packed within these unassuming boxes is in fact crucial parts of the Volvo apparatus - within reside a trove of technology and departments that inform the cars of today and tomorrow. We toured the Battery Lab, Driving Dynamics Simulator, Exploration and Enabling Labs, as well as the brand's Wind Tunnel.
Expectedly, as the brand pivots towards full electrification, batteries are a hugely important part of the car-designing and car-making process. The Battery Lab is when these batteries are designed and developed in-house, and subsequently go through extensive testing - from cell level all the way up to the entire battery pack. Within complex metal containers laced with wires and screens, the batteries can be tested at wide-ranging temperatures and humidity levels, ensuring that they continue to work well no matter the eventual car's final destination.
Batteries are but one part of the equation, though. When it comes to how cars are designed, a lot of work is done digitally. In the Exploration and Enabling Labs, digital models are first created, which can be explored using virtual reality. This can subsequently be integrated into the physical world, first with a static setup, and then with an actual driveable vehicle with the use of an augmented reality setup, or what Volvo calls 'extended reality'. This allows designers to explore components like the infotainment system, dashboard, button locations, and even interior colours - all done in a virtual-first environment.
The Driving Dynamics Simulator serves a similar digital function - allowing engineers to prototype and test various engineering solutions without having to build physical products. The idea, of course, is to both streamline and shorten the model development process - digital models are cheaper and quicker to build.
But real-world testing of course will have to happen. The Wind Tunnel has the obvious purpose of evaluating a car's aerodynamic performance. But perhaps more significant (and probably more famous for Volvo) is its Safety Centre, home to its crash testing facility. It's likely you've seen videos on Youtube: Two cars being run into each other, caught in ultra slow-mo. And it's not just about testing the safety credentials of its new, upcoming models. Volvo also uses the facility to recreate situations using real-world data, and thus serve as a research tool to generate new learnings that can be further applied in the future. This dedication to utmost safety should come as no surprise from the brand that pioneered the three-point seatbelt and Side Impact Protection System, among other safety innovations.
If I'm being fully honest, this isn't perhaps to most exciting or headline-grabbing aspect of car development (at least to the non-nerds out there). In some ways, these are the "dull" behind-the-scenes work that eventually result in the shiny new things presented at motor shows. But in fact, these are arguably the most important parts - ensuring that the cars are safe, function as designed, and meet the set objectives of the manufacturer. It may not be particular 'sexy', but it is vitally important.
Shiny new things
But Volvo's presence in Gothenburg isn't limited to mostly grey/white/blue office buildings and manufacturing facilities. In fact, the brand's newest development is actually a gigantic shiny new building - the recently opened World of Volvo. Located in downtown Gothenburg, this expansive new space is aesthetically far removed from its Torslanda facilities. It's still very much Scandi in look and feel, but the material palette comprises mainly wood and glass, and most certainly packs that wow factor.
It's fitting that my visit to World of Volvo, two days before, is on a bright and sunny day, a far cry from the dreary weather to follow. With daylight piercing through the glass expanses even until dinner concluded at 10:00pm, the mood was cheery and upbeat as we visited the exhibition section (the building also houses numerous conference rooms, work spaces, and even a restaurant).
The current exhibition traces the roots and heritage of the Volvo brand across a variety of vehicles - not just cars, but trucks, buses, construction equipment, even boats. From the very first Volvo car made, the 1927 ÖV 4, to a particular P1800 that holds the record for highest mileage ever (more than 3.2 million miles, and counting; the car still gets occasionally driven), from heavy duty trucks to quixotic concept vehicles like the Safety Concept Car and the Elbil (an EV concept built in 1976!), it is a wide-ranging history lesson that charts the evolution of the brand.
The march forward
Modern Volvos have some a long way since the early days, though some qualities still resonate strongly. The hyper-boxy styling of earlier Volvos have given way to sharper, more futuristic designs (though a certain boxy resonance remains, which we appreciate), but one thing that has perhaps not changed at all is the brand's commitment to utmost safety.
Inflatable curtains, side impact airbags, roll-over protection system, blind-spot information system, on to more modern systems like pedestrian detection with braking. These may not have quite the dramatic panache of a brand executive throwing a metal ball at a supposedly bulletproof window of a Cybertruck (that didn't work out so well), but it's illuminating to see the extensive work that goes into the development of Volvo cars.
A day-long test drive with a variety of new Volvo models proved as much. Having had a chance to drive two variants of the new EX30, an EX40 and a XC90 across a variety of roads around Gothenburg, it's clear the level of deliberate choices that result in the quality of these cars.
As the everything Volvo, the XC90 is of course the pinnacle of Volvo luxury and quality - it feels borderline palatial, packed to the gills with opulent features. The EX40, too, retains a particular robust and stout feel about it. It is certainly more of an every-man's car, but still radiates an air of assurance.
But, the Volvo brand is evolving, and its cars along with it. The EX30, while retaining many Volvo hallmarks, represents a clear move into the future. With more vibrant and youthful energy, it takes aim at bringing a new generation of car owners into the brand. The design elements too, from the exterior surface to the new-generation interior, have a more adventurous and bold spirit about them.
And, on a larger scale, the same is true for the brand. Beyond just the new Chinese bosses in the form of the Geely Group, the Volvo brand is making its own transformation - all Volvos will be fully electric by 2030, and the brand is ramping up towards a technology and modernity-forward future.
Image and perception are powerful things. While perhaps not explicitly saying it, it's evident that Volvo wants to embrace change - a move onwards from a more conservative approach to one that presents as more energetic and exciting, all while never losing sight of core brand values.
The march of change is unceasing, but not singular in rhythm. I spent half a year in Gothenburg 11 years ago, and coming back 11 years later, a lot actually looks and feels the same. The same trams, the same shops, even the theme park looks virtually unchanged.
But change is there. For example, Gothenburg is in the midst of building its first underground train stations. That may sound preposterous in the 21st century, but Gothenburg sits on soft clay, so underground construction was never a very viable option. But dealing with the needs of continuing urbanisation necessitates new solutions, and improving technology makes it possible.
Similarly, the Volvo brand marches forward with change. And while there are no guarantees about the future, at least one thing is clear - it’s going to be different, and it will be excitingly electrified.
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