F O C U S 7 > The total system output of the new Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine is 407 hp with 640 Nm of torque with only 49 g of CO2 emissions per kilometer. With a capacity of more than 9 kWh, the lithium-ion battery installed inside the vehicle tunnel achieves a range of 43 km on electricity alone. pressure and combustion, new features are to be expected in exhaust gas recirculation, charging, as well as other measures to ensure engine operation at the ideal load point, for example cylinder cut-off. We already know now that Volvo is going to be one of the few automotive manufacturers to meet the 95 g CO2 limit – even without the help of powertrain electrification. ‹F›: With ‘Volvo on Call,’ Volvo has implemented a modern onboard communication system for emergency calls and a host of comfort features. Could you tell us some more about ‘Volvo on Call’ and what plans you have for the future in this respect, also in connection with smartphones? ‹Dr. Peter Mertens›: Volvo has been successful on the market with ‘Volvo on Call’ since the early noughties. By 2010, we’d already implemented the handling of comfort functions, e.g. programming the parking heater via smartphone apps – a feature offered today on all of the common platforms. Nowadays the service is extremely popular and, thanks to our almost global availability, we are seeing two-digit take rates – some markets have even integrated the system into their basic services. In addition to safety features like eCall, emergency assistance or stolen vehicle tracking, customers today can either contact the call center or, as I mentioned earlier, conveniently use their smartphone app to locate, lock, unlock the vehicle, get information about its location, condition, range or similar, run an electronic driving journal or, as I already said, air-condition and (since 2014) cool the vehicle. The offered features have meanwhile been extended to include Volvo Connectivity (multimedia) and Connected Navigation, providing customers with services like internet radio, ondemand music, online weather, travel information, Send-to-Car (destination found on phone is sent to navigation system), etc. We are exceptionally proud of our park-and-pay service, an advanced mobility concept that helps customers find suitable parking and pay for it automatically from their car. Connected Service-Booking is the first step in integrating dealership workshop processes in our services. We tell our customers when it’s time to have their car serviced. The system can even suggest appointments at the local dealership. In the case of an emergency, it’s possible to read the vehicle’s error memory remotely and initiate the most suitable and cost-effective support measures. ‹F›: Safety has traditionally been one of Volvo’s core values. Volvo’s ‘Vision 2020’ initiative states that by 2020 no one will be killed or critically injured in a new Volvo car. What are the technical means by which you want to achieve this goal? And what role does the vehicle’s connectivity to other vehicles have in this respect? ‹Dr. Peter Mertens›: Volvo has been studying accidents and accident causes for many decades. Drawing on this knowledge, we have identified various types of collisions. For instance, accidents at intersections or ones in which the driver departs from the road. Knowing this helps us get closer to our vision.
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