AutoPartsAsia | NOVEMBER 2017 | 19mistakes in developed markets also.
It is to do with taking risks, to be in
the forefront of providing transport
solutions. If you don’t do it, somebody
else will. You need to be brave and
take chances. That is why the complete
value chain is even more important
because if you do it in partnership with
your customers and suppliers, and the
surrounding society, you reduce the
risk. You need to be in agreement to
accept failures on the road, to progress
and to learn.
Q: When you develop solutions, are
they country or market-specific,
as transportation in itself is very
different around the world?
A: We are an international company
working on a global platform but
we need to be as local as possible
because our customers are local; that
is the challenge. So we try to develop
products in modular systems so that
they can be combined in varied ways
for different products.
Q: Is creating awareness about
sustainability among the workforce
difficult? What is your view?
A: As part of Human Resource
Development, I engage with workers
on this issue. The strength of a
conglomerate like the Volvo Group lies
in its people – one hundred thousand
employees. When I talk with the young
people all over the world, especially
those starting to plan their careers, I
find they are so interested in investing
their time and future in a company that
is trying to do something for society
and bring about a change. I tell the
youngsters not to enter new ‘pop-
up’ companies but to come to us,
because here will be the change for the
automotive industry in the next five to
ten years that they would find extremely
interesting. I feel in the next 10 years
there will be a paradigm shift in the
automotive sector based on all the new
technologies coming in. India can be
a striking example of this change, with
GST streamlining things along with the
various other initiatives under way.Q: What is their reaction when you
say all this?A: They want to contribute. When I
talk to engineers working on projects
to reduce fuel consumption by oneor two percent, from a sustainability
perspective, they feel they are really
doing something good for the society.Q: If you see the result of your
efforts on the table, you get
motivated. But reduction of CO2,
greenhouse gases and other
emissions cannot be seen or felt,
so people tend to think that the
required norms have not been
achieved. How do you change this
thinking?
A: It is a long-term engagement. When
I talk to the young, I find their long-term
thinking is better than ours. That’s
what inspires me because they want
to not only see the change but also
make sure the planet is safe for their
kids in the years to come. I think this
makes them better understand the
climate change issues; they can also
relate to the values of the Volvo group,
engaged in environmental care right
from the early 1970s, which at that time
was very unusual for the automotive
sector. It makes sense for them, in
the long-term, to be associated with a
group that has worked for a very long
time on these issues.Q: Is there any project that could
be a game changer for Volvo?
A: There are so many different
projects to talk about. Let us take one
on the electro-mobility project taken
in Gothenburg - our hometown. It’s
very interesting -not only because
of the technology shift from diesel
to electric buses but also because
of the kind of partnership that was
set up for that project. To make one
completely electrified bus-line, that
is fully utilised by the public, calls
for 15 different partners. It is so
encouraging to sit down with these
partners and see how we can align
our ambitions for the future and our
vision from a sustainability point of
view. We all want to go in the same
direction, with different roles to play.
Electrifying buses is so important from
the partnership standpoint; we will not
be able to do it ourselves. That’s why
electrification is moving at different
speeds around the world. Another
interesting thing is automation; we are
doing platooning, which makes sense
from the sustainability angle because
you can reduce fuel consumption by
10 to 15 percent and also, together
with connectivity, improve efficiency
in society. In Europe, the transport
utilisation level is at 50 percent, due to
lack of information. So if we can take it
as an opportunity to increase business
and improve sustainability, it would
leapfrog social efficacy.V
olvo Trucks is introducing Euro-VI compliant Volvo FH LNG and
Volvo FM LNG heavy duty trucks that run on liquefied natural
gas (LNG) or biogas. They cut CO2 emissions by 20 per cent
when running on LNG and 100 per cent when on biogas. With
the energy-efficient gas-powered technology, Volvo Trucks reduces the
climate impact of heavy regional and long-haul transport operations.
The comparison is with diesel as fuel, and relates to emissions from the
vehicle during usage, from tank-to-wheel.
The new Volvo gas trucks are 15 to 25 per cent more fuel efficient than
the current gas-powered trucks in the market. LNG gives the trucks the
maximum operating range.
Volvo Trucks is working with gas suppliers and customers to expand the
LNG infrastructure in Europe. It has political support in many countries,
besides the EU backing. The strategy for expanding LNG infrastructure
is included in the action packages of the European Commission and
member States to secure long-term energy supplyCleaner Gas Trucks