Volvo Cars organized a special test drive of electric cars and excavators for European Union (EU) member states’ environment and climate ministers outside Stockholm
The test drive was a scheduled event at an unofficial EU Council meeting during the first half of 2023, when Sweden is the EU Council president. They co-hosted the event alongside Volvo Group, Scania, Mobility Sweden, and the Swedish Government, who are all competitors in the Swedish mobility market.
The Volvo C40 and XC40 were among the fully electric vehicles that the EU ministers and the EU Commissioner for the Environment tested. The initial presentation session, which included a 15-minute keynote address from our CEO Jim Rowan, came before the test drives.
‘By 2026, Volvo cars will use steel with almost no emissions. However, electrifying our vehicles is insufficient; we also need to address emissions across all of our businesses. We also want to minimise the lifecycle carbon footprint of each car by 40% between 2018 and 2025, which includes lowering carbon emissions throughout our supply chain.
We’re collaborating with like-minded parties to accomplish this. For instance, we were the first automaker to collaborate with Swedish steel company SSAB to investigate high-quality, nearly emission-free steel for the automobile sector. The tread plate on the Volvo automobiles at the test drive was built of SSAB’s nearly emission-free steel as a foretaste’, Jim Rowan stated.
The EU wants to become more competitive globally as it makes the switch to a low-carbon economy. In this context, Mr. Rowan applauded the recently introduced Critical Raw Materials Act and Net Zero Industry Act. For instance, the rules to streamline and expedite the permitting processes will assist companies in starting projects more quickly. They must be put into action right away.
In order to ensure that the EU keeps the talent necessary for a successful transition, Mr. Rowan also urged the Union to take further measures, such as expanding the production of fossil-free power and public funding on research and higher education.
