Latest Articles by kenneth

Sleek Volvo XC60: Bioethanol-ready

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Volvo XC60 will be making its world debut next month at the Detroit motor show. Earlier, Volvo has given a preview of what its newest crossover would look like. But XC60 is not just about improving the looks of Volvo’s crossovers. It is also about high-tech innovations coupled with the use of environment-friendly fuel. Volvo flaunts that the new crossover is bioethanol ready.

“The XC60 Concept features a number of innovations that indicate how our cars will look in a few years time. It is time to once and for all forget about boxy Volvos,” said Steve Mattin, Volvo’s design director. “Instead, we will make our Scandinavian design heritage more emotional and radiant by adding sculptured, exciting shapes and innovative features.” He continued, “With more expressive and emotive shapes, if you can recognize a Volvo from 50m today, I want to get to the point where you will instantly spot a Volvo from twice that distance in the future.”

XC60 boasts its Volvo fuel system which covers the six-cylinder, 3.2-litre bio-ethanol engine. Said engine offers forceful performance with 265bhp and 340 Nm of torque. It also offers with 80 percent reduced carbon dioxide emissions than engine running on petrol. "We believe that the FlexiFuel also has great potential for larger engine sizes and we are planning to expand our range of bio-ethanol-powered engines in the coming years," said Magnus Jonsson, senior vice president, Research & Development at Volvo Cars.

Bioethanol can be produced by corn, wheat, and sugarcane or cellulose fermentation process. They grow steadily in Europe. As a fact, there are about 23 plants producing ethanol in said territory and the number is expected to increase in time. Within the European Union, approximately 720 million gallons of ethanol are produced every year. In the United States, there are 101 bioethanol plants with a capacity of 4.8 billion gallons annually. Further, there are over 1,000 filling stations for E85 in the United States.

The engine of the crossover was formerly introduced along with XC90 and Volvo S80 parts. It is optimized for E85 - 85 percent bio-ethanol and 15 percent petrol. The fuel economy when using E85 reduces to 19.2 mpg. This is because ethanol’s energy content is 40 percent lower than that of petrol.

Bioethanol fuel is renewable. "One single renewable fuel will not be able to replace today's fossil fuels, and the range of alternative fuels will probably be far wider in the future. Many different fuels and technologies are therefore being developed in parallel. Ethanol reduces dependency on fossil fuels and Volvo's FlexiFuel programme makes a vital contribution to our strategy of environmental sustainability," said Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo Cars.

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Kenneth McKinley is a 35-year old marketing specialist of voparts.com, a leading Volvo parts dealer in the country today. Working in the car parts industry for a long time now and being a car enthusiast himself gives him a wealth of knowledge on anything automotive.
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Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Volvo Improves Braking Functions

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

To increase road safety, Volvo, a world-leading Swedish auto manufacturer, improves its braking functions for the European market. If customers choose a Volvo truck with electronically controlled Brake System (EBS) in base form, more functions are incorporated to it without the burden of paying extra cost.

Among the additional features now made available by the automaker are Hill Start Aid that prevents the truck from rolling backward when starting on an uphill gradient, and Wheel Brake Monitoring that alerts the driver if the brake force on the wheels abruptly falls.

The EBS system incorporated in Volvo trucks can be ordered in 3 program packages: Standard, Medium and High. The Standard package remains in the base version. Moreover, the Medium version is already equipped with the EBS system. Moreover, the base version has been upgraded with six new functions, available for both semi-trailers and rigids.

Power bleed Volvo brakes are now upgraded to boost safety in driving. "We are now providing our customers with an extremely high safety level as standard, no matter the type of truck they order," said Lars-Göran Löwenadler, safety director at Volvo Trucks. "This is entirely in line with our constant determination to increase safety for drivers and other road-users alike."

EBS system has a number of sensors and valves to monitor and regulate the braking system of the vehicle. Additionally, it is possible now for the wheel and auxiliary brakes to interact with in just a short span of time to effectuate shortest viable braking distance in all sorts of driving situations. The braking force is also distributed optimally between the tractor and trailer. This is done to sustain stability even when braking.

The base range of Volvo trucks is now equipped with 6 functions. The first function is Hill Start Aid, which makes it easier to move off on an uphill gradient by automatically maintaining brake pressure until the engine has built up sufficient torque to move the truck forward without slipping backward. This feature is significant when hauling a heavy load.

Another significant function is the Panic Brake Assistance, which is designed to boost brake pressure in a panic braking situation. The system registers when the driver presses the brake pedal quickly to help cut the stopping distance. Other functions include the Wheel Brake Monitoring, Lining Wear Analysis, and Differential Lock Control. These functions contribute significantly to improve road safety in driving.

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Kenneth McKinley is a 35-year old marketing specialist of voparts.com, a leading Volvo parts dealer in the country today. Working in the car parts industry for a long time now and being a car enthusiast himself gives him a wealth of knowledge on anything automotive. Visit Power bleed Volvo brakes to know more about the author.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Drive Home Safely, Get A Ride

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Christmas and the New Year are times and occasions when people have a lot to celebrate about. There are those who celebrate the good times during the past year. There are those who are there to give cheer and fun because the year has already ended. Some people do their celebrations because these days are the times when they are able to be with their loved ones, their friends, their family, and everybody else who are special to them. Indeed, Christmas and New Year is a time for celebration but it is also a time when many get wrapped up too much in their drinking that they do try to go home and drive even when they are already intoxicated. Too bad. Accidents could mean not just having to replace your Volvo 780 parts if they get smashed up but it could also mean having to lose your loved ones or even your life.

Good thing though. There is a group which wants to make sure that people would be safe and sound during the whole yuletide season. Last year, it was SoberRide who did the duty and responsibility of taking home people home. In fact, according to the statistics from SoberRide, they were able to deliver and take home more than 2,600 passengers in and about the area of Washington. This was during the whole season where people were celebrating, taking in large gulps of liquor, and were too busy getting drunk.

For this year, Geico, one of the country’s most noted auto insurance agencies, would be joining forces with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, or the WRAP, to actually bring home these not so sober people. The employees of these groups would be working with some cab companies and businesses in the area so as to give people a ride home through their free cab ride program.

“We really want everyone to be safe during the holiday season. And SoberRide is a great way to get people home safely from their celebrations,” says Janice Minshall, one of the head employees at Geico. According to Geico and WRAP, they would be calling their free cab ride program the 2006 Holiday SoberRide and it has already begun last 8th of December. The whole program would be continuing up until the 1st of January.

Unveiling Volvo’s Concept Car

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

One of my close friends really does love concept cars. Not only because of their unique styles and unique features but because of the fact that these concept cars are produced only once in a lifetime and there are very rare cases when these become production vehicles. More often than not, concept cars continuously become concept cars and later on museum displays.

Making its rounds in the auto industry is the rumor of a new vehicle from Volvo that is cooler than the cool air the Volvo cooling system parts can produce. What is cool about this new concept vehicle is not how it looks like but actually because of its environmentally friendly feature. Volvo calls the new concept car the Volvo XC60 and it has been said that it is combination of a coupe and a sports utility vehicle.

The vehicle comes with a bio ethanol engine with six cylinders. Volvo says that this engine has the capacity and capability to cut down on emissions of fossil carbon dioxide not only by some twenty or fifty per cent but actually of a whooping eighty per cent. In fact, the company does say that with the Volvo XC60, you not only get a safe ride (which is a trademark of the company) but you also do get a vehicle that does not add up to Mother Nature’s problems.

City Safe. This is what Volvo describes the Volvo XC60 concept vehicle. It has got an active collision avoidance system which has been specially engineered and designed so as to lessen or even completely avoid damage from low speed rear impacts. What happens is that when the Volvo XC60 is following a vehicle which suddenly brakes, the City Safety feature is the one that senses that a collision is imminent. What this one would do would be to actually pre charge the brakes of the vehicle so as to avoid any kind of accident. The City Safe feature can also make the car brake automatically if it senses any accident happening.

If the company does continue on with its plans on making the Volvo XC60 as a production vehicle, you should expect the vehicle to come to the nearest showrooms in your area in the year 2009.

Volvo XC70 Goes SUV

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

When Volvo had created vehicles, people readily accepted these automobiles for they were promised and really given the chance to experience a ride (or a drive) that was exceptional and gave its users much safety. However, Volvo has been much known for being a car manufacturer that created and offered the market with compact vehicles and wagons as well as Volvo fuel system parts and Volvo climate control parts among many others. Volvo was not known though for offering the market sporty vehicles.

But times are surely changing and Volvo has perhaps found the courage to actually create vehicles for the sporty ones. If you would remember, the world was quite shocked and amazed at the same time when the vehicle manufacturer sent out the Volvo XC90 sports utility vehicle. And now, the wagon Volvo XC70 has just had to go through a revision. This time around, the wagon would be going under a restyling that involves going sporty.

From being a wagon, the Volvo XC70 has been redone and now sports a sporty look and feel. Those who have been lucky enough to witness the new look of the vehicle have said that the Volvo XC70 does indeed have the kind of feel you get when you take the Volvo XC90 sport utility vehicle for a spin. This vehicle, the Volvo XC70, has been through the thorough hands and creative mind of Peter Horbury although the company has said that this one would be the last vehicle to be created by Horbury.

During the Detroit auto show, show goers can surely feast their eyes on the possible outcome you would see when the complete change has been done on the Volvo XC70. However, you should not try looking for the Volvo XC70 for you would have no luck with that. According to Volvo, they would be displaying the Volvo XC70 as a concept vehicle at the Detroit auto show and they would be calling it the Volvo XC50.

Mattin, one of the heads at Volvo, says, “We need to be recognizable as Volvo. We're still about Scandinavian simplicity; we can't be playful or do styling for the sake of styling. Volvos last a long time, so our design must have legs. But we can't be too simple or we'd edge toward blandness. And we can't not change; we must be fresh. I want to broaden our design and have more variation between car lines.”

Flagship Volvo S80, Ready With New Prices

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Known for its range of vehicles that offer passengers safety and style, Volvo is very well prepared for the upcoming new model year. And it has made sure that all of its vehicles that would be coming in with new model versions would be ready not only in terms of features and technology but also ready in terms of packages and pricing.

The Volvo S80 would be coming in with new features and new styles and according to its creator which also manufactures Volvo 780 parts and the whole lot, this Volvo sedan has been created so as to make not only ripples but big waves in the luxury market. It now comes with a list of features that are powerful and very useful. Plus, the vehicle also would be coming in with a competitive price.

Volvo further says that the new Volvo S80 sedan would be bearing with it some part of Volvo’s colorful history. It would bear with it the best in safety and performance. These would be combined with new types of design which would allow drivers and passengers to experience and feel a new type of handling, entertainment, and comfort that cannot be quite experienced in luxury vehicles.

“The S80 is extraordinarily well equipped, so we’ve carefully selected and packaged a small number of very appealing options for discriminating owners who want special touches in areas like audio systems, personal security, and the luxury features that let them personalize their S80s,” shares Steve Blyth, CEO of Volvo. This is when Blyth was questioned about the power of the vehicle. After all, he did also quite emphasize that power does not really make up a vehicle. It does take a good combination of features that work together well to make a really outstanding vehicle.

Those who are opting though for a good boost and zoom can quite have a choice for the Volvo S80 offers two engine choices. One is the inline six cylinder engine with 3.2 liters capacity. This one has the capacity to create 235 units of horsepower. Another option would be the V8 4.4 liter engine with the capacity to boost up to 311 horsepower.

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Kenneth McKinley is a 35-year old marketing specialist of voparts.com, a leading Volvo parts dealer in the country today. Working in the car parts industry for a long time now and being a car enthusiast himself gives him a wealth of knowledge on anything automotive. Check out Volvo 780 parts for more information.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Volvo S40: Upholding the Marques Values

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Volvo has a lot to thank the Volvo S60 for. The introduction of said car paved way for more prominent and best-selling cars like the second generation of S40. According to car analysts, Volvo S40 is probably the first small Volvo that really upholds the marques values. This is because of the car's design, appeal, and affordability factors.

Further, it is also considered as a clever used buy. As a used buy, S40 stacks up well. Additionally, a previous owner may leave a purchaser a whole host of classic Volvo values.

Volvo S40 upgrade parts feature styling touches that are genuinely never seen before. The new S40 introduces a brand new design based on the Volvo P1 platform. The car is manufactured at the Volvo Cars factory situated in Ghent, Belgium.

Volvo S40 won the 2005 Canadian Car of the Year Best New Sport Compact award. It was also nominated for the World Car of the Year award. Also in said year, the car was elected the South African Car of the Year by the South African Guild of Motoring Jounalists. One of the many variants of the car is S40 T5. Said variant features a 2.5 L (2521 cc) five-cylinder fuel injected engine with a light-pressure turbocharger. The engine is diagonally mounted at the front of the car and drives the front wheels. Its valvetrain, a DOHC design, has 4 valves per cylinder.

Some enthusiasts are saying that S40 can be considered as one of the best picks in the auto market these days. It is refined, reliable and made more affordable by the automaker. They added that from the façade to the bodywork, which is inspired by Ford Focus - and finally to what are found under the hood - everything is fascinating.

On the other hand, Volvo S60, which was introduced in 2000, is the automaker's entry-level luxury car. It is one of the first Volvo cars to use Peter Horbury's design called "curvy Volvos" that used the tagline used in "Revolvolution." Parts Volvo S60 was refreshed in 2004 to create brand new capabilities. For the 2008 model year S60 and V70 will be using Ford EUCD platform.

Americans Want Better Fuel Efficiency Standards

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600

To know what the market is actually looking for, those organizations or groups who are in the business of offering the market some service or product make sure that they do get into the minds and thoughts of the market. One of the common ways of doing it is to actually study the market and how they go about choosing their wares. On the other hand, they can immediately delve into the thoughts and preferences of the consumers by asking them directly through surveys.

A survey was recently done by the Opinion Research Corporation, or the ORC. They did a national opinion survey which was backed up and supported by the Civil Society Institute or the CSI. Together, they were able to gather information regarding some peculiarities and some trends in the auto industry. Of course, they were simply not just asking consumers whether which auto parts store offered the best and the cheapest 740 Volvo parts. It takes a lot more than that.

The results of the survey from ORC would surely be a great help to the auto manufacturers. Well, that is if they do choose to believe what the data from the survey was telling them. With the consumers still set out on believing that fuel prices are very much likely to soar higher than before, it looks like such has created a new kind of thought in the minds of consumers. For example, one aspect in the survey does show that more than three quarters of the American auto consumers do want the American government to actually impose a higher and better fuel efficiency standard for vehicles that are sold in the US market. They certainly do share that they would want the government to actually enforce that manufacturers should create vehicles that have a 40 mile per gallon fuel efficiency rate as the standard.

“These findings should be a real wake up call to any auto executive in Detroit who is hoping against hope that Americans will fall back in love with gas-hog vehicles. What Americans are saying to American carmakers is that they are ready for change. We know the technology exists for higher fuel efficiency that will save money, reduce this nation’s dependence on foreign oil and diminish the pollution linked to global warming. What Detroit needs to realize is that low gas prices have not – and will not – lead to the demise of the now very strong and continuing demand for more fuel efficient vehicles. If American carmakers make that wrong-headed gamble for a second time, it may just be the last losing bet they can afford to make,” says Pam Solo, the founder and current president of the CSI.

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Kenneth McKinley is a 35-year old marketing specialist of voparts.com, a leading Volvo parts dealer in the country today. Working in the car parts industry for a long time now and being a car enthusiast himself gives him a wealth of knowledge on anything automotive. Check this out 740 Volvo parts for more information.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Volvo BLIS wins Autocar Safety and Technology Award

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600

One thing that automakers should be blissful about is receiving prestigious awards. This bliss can be reflected from Volvo executives after BLIS was given one great award from Autocar. Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), an advanced safety innovation introduced by the automaker to avoid road accidents won the Autocar Safety and Technology Award for this year.

BLIS was the first system of its kind in the auto industry. It uses smart digital camera system, which is incorporated into auto door mirrors to continuously supervise the monitored zone alongside the car for other obstacles and obstructions. When the system detects other vehicles, it sends alerts to the driver by emitting an orange light in the A-pillar near the door mirror. “The Volvo BLIS system is the simplest, most useful, original and intuitive safety gadget to reach the production line in years. Alongside its affordability that means owners will use it and benefit from it,” said Charles Hallett, Autocar editor.

Volvo believes that preventing accidents happening in the first place is as important as reducing the number of injuries and fatalities, and as the leading company in the field of car safety, Volvo will continue to actively develop new safety technology. Volvo first previewed the BLIS system in its Safety Concept Car in 2001, so we are now very pleased to see this technology in production,” said Ingrid Skogsmo, director of the Volvo Safety Centre during the awarding.

Despite the presence of rear-view mirrors, vehicles are always at risk of blind spots. As a fact, these risks can cause road accidents especially when changing lanes. Hence, Volvo delivered BLIS for the automotive market to take advantage of. The system is active at all speeds above 10 km/h. Further, it is designed to alert the driver about vehicles in the monitored zone moving a maximum of 20 km/h slower or 70 km/h faster than the driver's own vehicle.

The automaker believes the additional visual information that is delivered by the BLIS system is practically useful in improving road safety. BLIS is now offered on all the Volvo range including the new C30 SportsCoupe. Volvo V40 car parts, for instance, are upgraded to welcome this outstanding technology from the automaker.

Volvo Gets SIRIUS About Its Features

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Volvo Cars recently announced that it will be incorporating SIRIUS Satellite Radio to other cars. It can be recalled that the partnership of Volvo and SIRIUS has long been established. And it seems that the partnership will be getting stronger since Volvo will be incorporating said satellite radio to more cars.

For the 2007 model year, Volvo will be offering factory installed SIRIUS on S40, V50, C70, and all-new S80 vehicle lines. "SIRIUS Satellite Radio is the perfect complement to Volvo's respected audio systems featuring Dolby Pro Logic II Surround and Dynaudio. Volvo customers will enjoy depth and breadth of music, sports, news, and entertainment as they have never experienced before in their vehicle. In keeping with Volvo's commitment to safety, SIRIUS also features channels dedicated to weather and traffic updates every four minutes in the top twenty U.S. markets, plus a weather and emergency channel," says Hans Krondahl, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Volvo Cars of North America.

The current version of S40 belongs to the second generation of the car, based on the Volvo P1 platform. Volvo car parts S40 is enhanced to blend well with SIRIUS. V50, a station wagon version of S40, shares the same platform with the Mazda3. Said vehicle is also given the satellite radio benefit.

C70, on the other hand, is a compact car that is available in coupe and convertible. Its new model, which features a 3-piece retractable metal top, was introduced last April. It boasts its less than 30 seconds operation. This time around, Volvo C70 parts and accessories can also boast the power of SIRIUS to make the car more appealing.

All-new S80, which will be made available in 2007, will also offer a factory equipped SIRIUS radio with a 6-month subscription. In the upcoming version of the car, Volvo S80 parts are not only upgraded but made harmonious as well.

“We are very excited about our relationship with Volvo and the launch of factory installed SIRIUS on the heels of the successful Special Edition S60, which featured SIRIUS as well," said Doug Wilsterman, Senior Vice President and General Manager Automotive OEM for SIRIUS. "We look forward to working closely with Volvo to offer their customers the best in-vehicle entertainment available."

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Kenneth McKinley is a 35-year old marketing specialist of voparts.com, a leading Volvo parts dealer in the country today. Working in the car parts industry for a long time now and being a car enthusiast himself gives him a wealth of knowledge on anything automotive. Check out Volvo S80 parts for more information.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com