Published June 14, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Want to know who is developing an electric bus that charges in ten minutes? The Volvo Group is opening the door to the future with its new Tech World Web site.
For the first time, many of the research projects on which the company’s engineers are working will be openly displayed.
The Volvo Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of heavy vehicles and considered a leader in terms of developing sustainable transport solutions of the future.
Research and development has always been the most secretive aspect of a company. This is natural, since it involves launching new solutions ahead of competitors. Nevertheless, the Volvo Group has decided to display some of the company’s work for the future on its new Web site, Tech World.
“Times are different and being open about where we are heading is now beneficial for us, our customers and society,” says Torbjörn Holmström, chief technology officer of the Volvo Group. “We will have the greatest opportunity to address current challenges and those of the future through cooperation.”
Another key aim of the website is to show existing and future engineers the width of the subject areas that are encompassed by the Volvo Group.
“Tech World clearly demonstrates the challenges and future prospects existing within the Volvo Group,” says Torbjörn Holmström. “We hope to be able to show that Volvo Group’s engineers are world-leading in many areas and contribute significantly to creating a future in which the environmental impact is reduced and traffic safety is higher.”
Tech World features a large number of examples of future projects: automatic equipment, vehicle fuel from forest raw material, vehicles that communicate with each other, electricity generation from surplus engine heat, boat simulators and much more. The Volvo Group’s engineers will share their expertise and will also present some of the challenges that remain to be overcome.
