Press releases 1998

Volvo projects strong growth in the years immediately ahead within the Group's commercial business areas: trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. Growth will occur organically as well as through continued acquisitions.

Volvo Car Corporation has made the decision to close the final assembly plant in Halifax, Canada, and cease production as of December 18, 1998.

Volvo Bus is introducing two new low-floor buses - the Volvo 5000 and Volvo 7000 - designed for comfortable, safe and economical transport in inner-city environments. A new exterior design, large windows, newly developed rear-view mirrors and a flexible, passenger-friendly interior are just some of the most noticeable features of Volvo's two new buses.

The new Volvo B7L is a bus chassis which, from the first stroke of the pen, was designed for city traffic. For example, the four engine options are designed specifically for busy urban traffic, while the driver?s station is meticulously designed to provide optimum ergonomics and function under these conditions. A new electrical system incorporates a long series of major functions. The model?s fuel consumption is low and its emission control efficiency high, and minimising the environmental impact.

FirstGroup has placed the UK's largest ever order for articulated buses with Volvo. The order for 40 low floor accessible articulated buses will be built on both the current Volvo B10L chassis and the articulated version of the new Volvo B7L city bus range launched at the Hanover show. FirstGroup will be the first to put the new generation low floor B7L articulated bus into service.

Volvo's new bus chassis, the B7L, is optimised for busy inner city traffic. The location of the engine at the left rear of the vehicle has enabled the entire floor to be made low and flat, affording passengers a single, convenient level of entry and exit through all doors. The design provides

The first seven months of 1998 represented a further significant growth and the number of invoiced units reached 5,400 (+17%). All market regions had higher sales especially the Americas and China. Sales revenue in value showed an even sharper increase due to a higher portion of complete buses and support services.

The new Volvo B7L is a bus chassis which, from the first stroke of the pen, was designed for city traffic. For example, the four engine options are designed specifically for busy urban traffic, while the driver?s station is meticulously designed to provide optimum ergonomics and function under these conditions. A new electrical system incorporates a long series of major functions. The model?s fuel consumption is low and its emission control efficiency high, and minimising the environmental impact.

Nu ska två elhybridbussar testas i praktisk drift i Göteborg. Hybridbussarna som tillverkats av Volvo ger extremt låga emissioner ­ utsläppen av kväveoxider är 90% lägre än för en konventionell buss. Fältprov ska pågå i tre år och syftet är testa och utvärdera ny miljöanpassad teknik. Projektet är ett samarbete mellan KFB (KomTwo electric hybrid buses are to undergo tests in regular operation on the streets of Göteborg, Sweden. The hybrid buses, made by Volvo, produce extremely low exhaust emissions - the discharge of nitrogen oxides, for instance, is 90% lower compared with a conventional bus. The field test will last three years, and the purpose is to test and evaluate new environmentally optimised technologies. The project is a co-operative venture between KFB (the Swedish Transport & Communications Research Board), the Göteborg Traffic & Public Transport Authority and Volvo. Day-to-day operation will be handled by the operator Swebus.munikationsforskningsberedningen), Trafikkontoret i Göteborg och Volvo. Driften kommer att skötas av Swebus.

Volvo was founded on 14 April 1927 when the company's first car was unveiled. The first Volvo truck appeared that autumn and Volvo?s Bus operations may be said to have been established in spring 1928, when a small number of the first truck chassis was fitted with bus bodies.