Transport is a key component of our daily lives. We live in a world where we are witnessing increased aspirations among people as well as a need to tackle key challenges with respect to the environment, congestion, our resources and poverty. In this landscape, sustainable transport solutions are an essential way forward. At Volvo Group we are committed in this arena with our mission to contribute to prosperity and make the world a better place.
Here is a snapshot reflecting our various contributions in the area of sustainability:
Volvo Group engines help our products to offer industry leading fuel efficiencies. Take for example Volvo Trucks – they ensures best-in-class fuel efficiency for every cubic meter of material carried in deep mines, thereby offering best-in-class operational efficiency.
With over a decade and a half of commitment to the Indian mining transportation industry and strong partnerships with major mining transport companies, nobody understands mining like we do. In any mining operation, the key to profitability lies in optimising productivity and minimising production costs. We know the value in this and ensure that our trucks in the mine operates at remarkable utilisation levels of around 19 hours a day.
Environmental care has been one of our core values since the 1970s. In India, even when there were no local emission requirements, Volvo products were introduced meeting global emission standards.
We also understand that it is not only the engines and vehicle performance, but also the transport concept that has a huge bearing on the environmental performance of our products and solutions. That is why Volvo solutions typically bring in the capacity to ‘do more with less’, through solutions such as - high capacity bulkers, tippers, tip-trailers, bus-based public transport systems, articulated vehicles, high performing excavators and many more. Using ‘fewer vehicles for the same job’ we help in reducing the environmental impact.
A key contributing factor of sustainable transport in India is that an increasing number of people adopt public transport. This would mean reduced engines on the roads leading to reduced emissions and fuel consumed. Less number of vehicles also means less congestion and fewer safety risks. This is the reason why cities chose Volvo City Buses in the first place – to establish public transport as a no.1 choice. Already, 35 cities in India have embarked on this journey.
In Bangalore, across many major routes, most of the passengers would not have opted for buses if not for Volvo. Volvo Buses has thus brought about a change in the bus industry with its low floor technology that provides high comfort, safety and performance.
Driving a heavy vehicle requires skills, of which, the ability to be fuel efficient is a highly valuable skill. Drivers are also a key factor in maintaining vehicles and offering passengers a good travel experience. Good drivers are ambassadors for transport corporations and as such are also instrumental in building the image of the industry.
Within Volvo Group, we have two unique programs focussed on the driver – Fuelwatch and Operator Idol. Volvo Trucks in India started Fuelwatch in 2010. Since then, more than 20,000 participants have become the ambassadors of the Fuelwatch community, sharing skills and technical knowledge picked up at this annual event to promote a more fuel-efficient industry.
Volvo Construction equipment conducts its Operator Idol program where operators of construction equipment across India participate and display their skills.
Even before the first vehicle was sold in India, Volvo commenced its driver training centre to train good drivers to be even better across all areas – economic driving, safe driving, social behaviour and more. As of today, Volvo Group in India has trained over 90,000 truck and bus drivers at its Volvo Driver Training Centre in Hoskote.
If it is possible to own a word, Volvo owns the word ‘safety’. It is ingrained in our brand heritage and culture. Safety is a significant part of the Volvo DNA.
It’s Volvo Group’s duty to protect those who drive our vehicles. All Volvo Products include a very high degree of safety ahead of regulations. We are well-aware of the fact that our products cannot prevent all unwanted incidents by themselves, regardless of how safe the products may be. That is why we go the extra mile - The Volvo Driver Training Program includes a high focus on defensive training and periodically conducts trainings at customer sites. Our R&D engineers spend a lot of time ensuring our products are as safe as possible by designing new systems to save lives.
Electromobility is a key component of our continuing drive to deliver sustainable mobility. Across the world there are over 7000 hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric buses delivered from the Volvo Group. In India we have already started operations of Hybrid buses with our customers. We believe that hybrid buses represent a logical first step on the path leading to the large-scale adoption of electrified vehicles. Apart from delivering emission and fuel-economy benefits, Volvo hybrid buses are also ready to deploy without investments in supporting infrastructure.
Volvo hybrid buses offer a potential saving of 30-35 percent reduction in emissions and also a similar improvement in fuel economy.