When it comes down to it, the most effective and direct way to reduce our environmental impact is to reduce the amount of carbon emissions we produce. Simple enough right? Well, while car consumers like Secor Volvo would like to think that all automakers are putting their greenest foot forward, that isn't always the case. Fortunately, Volvo drivers have no need to fret. They can drive their new Volvo models, confident that the auto brand they trust most is environmentally aware. In fact, the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E) recently found Volvo to be the European leader in carbon emission reduction.

Through analysis, T&E shows how successful automakers are in alleviating fuel consumption and carbon emissions in new vehicle models. The majority of car companies in Europe came in around an average of two to six percent in CO2 reduction but Volvo beat them all with a total of nine percent. "We are delighted and very proud of this result. We are following our ambitious plan which puts the spotlight on cutting carbon dioxide emissions,"¹ says Volvo President and CEO Stefan Jacoby.

Part of the automaker's "ambitious plan" includes an initiative called "DRIVe towards zero." Through the effort, Volvo hopes to someday produce vehicles completely free of carbon emissions. For now, several models are manufactured with fuel-efficient diesel engines that achieve high CO2 reduction success. For example, the V70 DRIVe has lowered its emissions to 119 gram/km and the V50 DRIVe has dropped even further to 99 gram/km. The automaker's ultimate goal is to achieve an average of 95 grams/km across the entire range of Volvo vehicles.

Senior VP of Research and Development Peter Mertens commented on the probability of actually accomplishing that goal. "In theory that is entirely feasible, but a lot depends on developments in legislation, incentives, energy availability and of course customer demand."¹ Mertens mentioned that Volvo green efforts will also be impacted by the EU's new method for calculating carbon dioxide.

If you are interested in learning more about what Volvo is doing to lower carbon emissions, feel free to contact Secor Volvo with any questions. To check out a hybrid or any other Volvo model, stop by our location at 575 Broad St. New London, CT. And as always, stay tuned for more Volvo news!

Source: ¹http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2011/10/19/011456-volvo-car-corporation-reduced-co2-emissions-most-europe.html