1999 Volvo S70 Base Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volvo demos autonomous self-parking car concept

A number of companies are developing autonomous vehicle technology - Google and Audi come to mind - but Volvo is applying its work in the area to a particular usage case: parking. The Swedish automaker has the technology up and running in a concept vehicle, which it says can be dropped off at the curb by its owner and left to its own devices to enter and navigate a car park, then find and park in an available parking spot. Volvo says the process can even be reversed when the owner is ready to go, with the car leaving the car park on its own to meet its key-holder again at the curb.
The vehicle first interacts with Vehicle 2 Infrastructure technology, which places transmitters in the road itself to inform the car (and driver) if the self-parking service is available. The driver then hops out, activates the Self Parking function on his or her smartphone and then leaves the car to do its work. The car uses sensors, all seemingly hidden from view (an advancement of its own in this field), to autonomously navigate the car park, which includes interacting and adjusting to other cars, people and objects.
The technology used here builds off of Volvo's other work in autonomous vehicle research, namely the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) project in which the company managed to create a train of four cars autonomously following a lead truck at speeds up 56 miles per hour. Volvo says the first application of its autonomous research in a production vehicle will happen at the end of 2014 with some level of autonomous steering available in the next-generation XC90. See the system in action by watching the video below.

2022 Volvo C40 Recharge priced, goes on sale late 2021

Pricing for the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge is out, and in consistent coupe crossover fashion, it’s a little more expensive than the traditionally-styled XC40 Recharge. The starting price is $59,845, including the $1,095 destination charge. ThatÂ’s $4,760 more than a base 2022 XC40 Recharge. ItÂ’ll be limited to just a single fully-loaded trim called “Ultimate” initially — there will be no additional options, Volvo says. Volvo lets you choose a lower “Plus” trim with the standard XC40 Recharge, but the cheaper starting price also carries less standard equipment. Sweetening the deal for C40 customers is an Electrify America partnership that starts all owners off with 250 kWh of complimentary charging. This comes with the regular XC40 Recharge, too, but it must be a 2022 model year vehicle. One should also take into account any federal or state tax incentives on offer when running the number — Volvo is still eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, so your effective net price could be closer to $50,000 depending on your location. Unfortunately, EPA-rated electric range on a full charge was not included in this announcement. Volvo announced the C40 with a 260-mile range estimate, but the real EPA number will surely fall below that figure. The XC40 Recharge, which the C40 shares all of its vital parts with, is EPA-rated for 208 miles on a full charge. Deliveries are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter this year for folks who pre-ordered the C40 online in March. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvo details new drive assist features for next XC90 and future models [w/video]

Volvo wants us to know what kinds of new technology will be under the sheetmetal of the offerings that will sit on its Scalable Platform Architecture, the first of which will be included on the 2015 Volvo XC90 arriving at the end of next year. The silicon-chip onslaught starts with detection and auto braking for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. The company's animal detection tech now works at night thanks to better cameras and exposure controls.
Also due for the high-riding wagon are road edge and barrier detection with steer assist, a setup that identifies the edge of the road - even ones without markings. The system can steer the car back into its lane if it detects the driver is about to leave the road or collide with a barrier. Adaptive cruise control with steer assist allows the car to not only follow the flow of traffic on a straight road, but steer itself automatically.
Beyond that, the company is planning on other safety advances, but these will rely on automaker cooperation and infrastructure upgrades. Volvo has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium on the subject of standards for communication between cars and wants to have it implemented by 2016. Sensors in traffic lights will enable Green Light Optimum Speed Advisory, which tells a driver how fast to go on a give stretch of road so as not to hit a red light. Weather, road condition, road works and emergency vehicle warnings will also inform drivers of new developments on the road. And autonomous parking, which Volvo has already demonstrated, stands to put a lot of valets out of work since it allows the car to find its own parking space without a driver inside.