1992 Volvo 240 Wagon 4-door on 2040-cars

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Volvo Concept Recharge full of sustainable materials

In June, Volvo showed us the conceptual exterior of its future vision in a swoopy wagon-like package called the Concept Recharge. The Swedes are now ready to show us the vision's interior and tell us what it's made of, calling it "a manifesto for Volvo Cars' future." With the context being Volvo's aim of selling only EVs by 2030 and being carbon neutral by 2040, the battery-electric Concept Recharge is a way for the automaker to get there and look stylish while doing it. It starts and nearly ends with employing sustainable, recyclable materials everywhere. Outside, the front and rear bumpers and the rocker panels are fashioned from flax composite. Only six percent of the materials in the specially developed Pirelli tires come from fossil resources, the rest from recycled and renewable materials like natural rubber, bio-silica, rayon and bio-resin. Every aspect of the bodywork has been shaped to increase aerodynamic efficiency, from the wheel design to the compact, upright rear end. Efficiency will also be a key development for the batteries. Volvo hasn't mentioned those yet in regard to the concept, but we know the company doesn't simply want to add more cells to increase range, since that adds weight and increases a vehicle's carbon footprint. Volvo is working with Swedish firm Northvolt on more energy-dense battery packs with shorter charging times. Inside, the Concept Recharge takes an evolutionary leap from the sustainable cabin now available in the C40 Recharge. The seat backrest and top of the instrument panel are dressed in "responsibly sourced Swedish wool" woven into a breathable, additive-free cloth. The seat bolsters and door panels areas that will see a lot of contact are covered in Tencel, a soft-touch yet durable cellulose fiber product. The floor and lower doors are wrapped in 100% wool. The seatbacks, the fronts of the headrests, and part of the steering wheel are covered in a material Volvo developed called Nordico. The company's being secretive about the composition, only telling us that Nordico's been created out of recyclable ingredients found in sustainable forests. And flax composite shows up again inside in the storage pockets, the back of the headrest, and the footrests. The automaker says that if the Concept Recharge's battery is charged using renewable energy, it would contribute less than 10 metric tons of CO2 over the wagon's lifespan. The U.S.

2025 Volvo EX30 Ice Drive: Sliding through Sweden in Volvo's charming new EV

GULLTRASK, Sweden — The irony of testing the new 2025 Volvo EX30 on a frozen lake mere miles south of the Arctic Circle is about as strong as the nonstop snow whipping my face upon exiting the sumptuously warm haven that is this little crossoverÂ’s colorful interior. Chances are, very few EX30 buyers in the United States will find themselves in such extreme conditions that studded winter tires become a non-negotiable item. But hey, when the opportunity arises to put what is arguably one of the most exciting new EVs introduced in the past year through the sort of ice driving Volvo does while testing on the companyÂ’s Swedish home turf, the only reasonable answer is, “Yes, please.” WhyÂ’s the EX30 so exciting? There are 36,245 reasons why. Most new EVs are inarguably expensive propositions, but with a starting (and startling) price of just $36,245, the EX30 aims to buck that trend. Not only is it inexpensive in comparison to the vast majority of EVs on sale today, but on paper and in person, it looks like a car one would expect to cost significantly more. The EX30Â’s performance figures are a huge contributor to this disconnect. Its single-motor, rear-drive model produces 268 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque (0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds), while the dual-motor AWD model amps that up to a rocking 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque (0-60 in 3.4 seconds). The performance party trick here is that the EX30 is lightweight for an EV, coming in at just 4,140 pounds with AWD or 3,858 pounds with RWD – that comes in handy when youÂ’re on ice. The Bjorntrask Ice Track just outside the hamlet of Gulltrask is not easy to get to. First, one must find your way to the Baltic-adjacent town of Lulea, Sweden. ItÂ’s one of the most bustling towns in the remote landscape that is northern Scandinavia, and it just so happens to host a small airport, which sees about nine arriving flights per day. Lulea is far enough north that itÂ’s covered in a permanent blanket of snow from November until spring hits, and the snow coverage you see on the coast only increases the further one drives inland. Unlike most winter-stricken American states, Sweden doesnÂ’t use salt to help clear snow and ice from its roads. Instead, gravel is used in abundance, but frankly, itÂ’s not much help when snow consistently covers it right back up.

2020 Volvo S60 T8 Long-Term Review Wrap-Up | Final verdict

Twelve months of motoring in the 2020 Volvo S60 T8 went by quickly. Our time in Volvo’s sharp, plug-in hybrid sedan is over, and itÂ’s time for a final verdict. The S60 saw two entirely different worlds in its time with us. We took delivery in normal days — you know, pre-global pandemic — but most of its tenure here was in a Covid-19 world. That being the case, it didnÂ’t get out and travel the country as much as our long-term test vehicles normally do. Prior to getting locked down, our S60 took trips to Chicago, Buffalo, the northern reaches of Michigan and elsewhere in the region. Even once its extended driveway sessions began, we snuck it away once to the East Coast for a quick back-and-forth summer trip. We limited our car swaps to once a month in an effort to stay away from each other on staff and keep each other safe. That meant that each of us got to spend longer stints than usual in the driverÂ’s seat — our normal routine wouldnÂ’t have encouraged this behavior pre-coronavirus. It was more like a true ownership experience, which is exactly what we aim to convey with long-term tests. We plugged it in every night, utilized the Volvo smartphone app to track it and integrated the car more fully into our lives. The odometer reading sat at 16,866 miles in the end. A great number of those miles were done under electric power, thanks to the carÂ’s 22-mile electric range when fully charged — our range testing saw it meet or exceed that figure if driven with a light foot.  And since the car was sitting at home so often, it was working with a full charge in most circumstances. Long highway trips saw us match the carÂ’s combined mpg rating of 30 mpg. Most fill-ups would return a much higher effective mpg number, though, as all the electric motoring helps it along. Folks with shorter commutes should take notice, as S60 T8 ownership will greatly reduce the number of necessary fuel stops. Due to the VolvoÂ’s long 10,000-mile maintenance gaps, it only needed to make one regular dealer stop in our time. Besides that, there were two other trips to the dealer. We had recall work done — there was an issue with the automatic emergency braking system — before the first regular service. And a sunroof snafu was the carÂ’s second and last unscheduled trip to the shop. Read on below for all of our final impressions on the 2020 Volvo S60 T8. 2020 Volvo S60 T8 View 15 Photos Road Test Editor Zac Palmer: The S60 T8 is a slightly sporty sedan, but itÂ’s no sports sedan.