Volvo is committed to the well being of our customers. As a natural part of this commitment, we care about the
environment in which we all live. Caring for the environment means an everyday involvement in reducing our
environmental impact.
Volvo's environmental activities are based on a holistic view, which means we consider the overall environmental
impact of a product throughout its complete life cycle. In this context, design, production, product use, and recycling
are all important considerations. In production, Volvo has partly or completely phased out several chemicals including
freons, lead chromates, naphtanates, asbestos, mercury and cadmium; and reduced the amount of chemicals used in our
plants 50% since 1991.
In use, Volvo was the first in the world to introduce into production a three-way catalytic converter with a Lambda
sond, now called oxygen sensor, in 1976. The current version of this highly efficient system reduces emissions of
harmful substances (CO, HC, NOx) from the exhaust pipe by approximately 95% and the search to eliminate the
remaining emissions continues. Volvo is the only automobile manufacturer to offer CFC-free retrofit kits for the air
conditioning system for all models as far back as the M/Y 1975 240. Advanced electronic engine controls, refined
purification systems and cleaner fuels are bringing us closer to our goal.
After Volvo cars and parts have fulfilled their use, recycling is the next critical step in completing the life cycle. The
metal content is about 75% of the total weight of a car, which makes the car among the most recycled industrial
products. In order to have efficient and well controlled recycling, many Volvo variants have printed dismantling
manuals, indicating the weight and material of individual components. For Volvo, all homogeneous plastic parts
weighing more than 1.7 oz. (50 grams) are marked with international symbols that indicate how the component is to be
sorted for recycling.
In addition to continuous environmental refinement of conventional gasoline-powered internal combustion engines,
Volvo is actively looking at advanced technology alternative-fuel vehicles. When you drive a Volvo, you become our
partner in the work to lessen the car's impact on the environment.
To reduce your vehicle's environmental impact, you can:
Maintain proper air pressure in your tires. Tests have shown decreased fuel economy with improperly inflated tires
Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your Warranty and Service Records Information booklet.
Drive at a constant speed
See an authorized Volvo retailer as soon as possible for inspection if the check engine (malfunction indicator) lamp
illuminates, or stays on after the vehicle has started
Properly dispose of any vehicle related waste such as used motor oil, used batteries, brake pads, etc.
When cleaning your car, use Volvo's own car care products, all of which have systematically been adapted to the
environment
PremAir®
On the surface of the radiator in the engine compartment, there is a special coating called PremAir®. PremAir® works
as a catalytic converter, converting most of the ozone passing through the radiator into oxygen, thereby reducing
harmful ground-level ozone. PremAir is a registered trademark of Engelhard Corporation.
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