Volvo Cars Environmental Heritage – a timeline

• 1945 Volvo introduces remanufactured spare parts - an exchange system still in use
• 1972 UN Global conference on the environment in Stockholm: Volvo raises the critical role of the car in society
• 1976 Three-way catalytic converter with oxygen sensor (Lambdasond®) removes up to 90% of noxious exhaust fumes - first on market.
• 1982 Torslanda plant begins to use waste heat from local oil refinery
• 1987 Torslanda water treatment plant removes 90% of harmful effluents
• 1989 New, proactive environmental policy
• 1989 Life-cycle assessment using EPS (Environmental Priority Strategies in product design)
• 1989 Volvo demonstrates alcohol power technology: cleanest car tested to date
• 1989 Introduction of internal environmental audits
• 1989 Plastics in Volvo cars marked to facilitate recycling
• 1990 First award of Volvo Environment Prize
• 1991 Volvo Cars first to introduce car free of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• 1991 Paintshop at Torslanda plant is the world's cleanest
• 1992 Asbestos eliminated from car production
• 1992 Volvo Environmental Concept Car (ECC)
• 1993 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) no longer used in climate systems of series-produced Volvo cars
• 1994 ECRIS, a new research facility for environmentally optimised dismantling
• 1995 Volvo Bi-Fuel, Volvo Cars' first generation of methane-driven cars
• 1995 Introduction of standards to improve dealers' environmental activities
• 1995 Launch of Car & Eco Care, the Volvo Cars range of environmentally labelled car care products
• 1996 Dialogue on the Environment provides environmental training for all employees
• 1996 Introduction of environmental standards for suppliers
• 1998 Introduction of PremAir® - a radiator coating designed to convert harmful ground-level ozone into pure oxygen
• 1998 Volvo Cars is first carmaker to publish environmental product information (EPI) for cars (originally named EPD)
• 1999 IAQS (Interior Air Quality System) introduced for cleaner cabin air
• 2000 Tailpipe emission control technology from Volvo Cars' ULEV engines becomes available globally
• 2001 New generation of Bi-Fuel cars
• 2002 Volvo Adventure environmental education programme for young people (formerly Volvo Young Environmentalist Award)
• 2002 PZEV engine introduced in California - second on market.
• 2002 New Volvo cars designed for 85% recyclability
• 2003 Volvo Cars achieves global ISO 14001 certification
• 2004 Introduction of particulate filter for diesel engines
• 2004 Volvo Cars' new V8 engine is world's first V8 to comply with ULEV II
• 2004 Volvo 3CC sustainable mobility concept car unveiled
• 2004 Volvo S40 1.6D is first Volvo car with fuel consumption less than 5 l/100 km
• 2005 Bioethanol (E85) powered Volvo S40/V50 Flexifuel launched in Sweden
• 2006 Volvo Flexifuel launched in eight more markets
• 2007 IAQS & Automatic ventilation recommended by Swedish Asthma & Allergy Association
• 2007 Volvo Flexifuel offer launched in several more European markets
• 2007 Volvo Flexifuel offer broadened - 3 models and 5 engines introduced
• 2007 Volvo ReCharge Concept - a plug-in hybrid with 100 km battery range – introduced
• 2008 Volvo uses only green electricity (hydropower) in European manufacturing units
• 2008 Powershift technology introduced - automatic transmission with 8% lower fuel consumption compared to conventional automatic transmissions. Available in C30/C70/S40/V50
• 2008 Volvo C30/S40/V50 1.6D DRIVe introduced - with CO2 emissions of 115 (C30) and 118 g/km (S40 and V50)
• 2008  Volvo Car Corporation is the first car manufacturer to own a wind tunnel that fully simulates the airflow around and underneath the car's body, combined with wheel rotation on a flat road surface
• 2008 The Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association recommends the Volvo S80, V70, XC70 and XC60 when equipped with IAQS and automated ventilation
• 2008 Volvo V70 2.5FT/Gas announced in Sweden for five fuels: E85, biogas, CNG, hythane (biomethane with low-blend of hydrogen) and petrol; Volvo V50 Tri-Fuel introduced in Italy - for E85, LPG and petrol; and  Volvo V50 Multifuel introduced in Switzerland - for 4 fuels: E85, biogas, CNG and petrol
• 2009 DRIVe low-emission range rolled out to 7 models within the Volvo range – the Volvo C30, S40, V50, V70, XC60, XC70 and S80.
• 2009 New start/stop technology fitted to S40, C30 and V50 DRIVe models, meaning CO2 emissions cut to just 104 g/km.
• 2009 Volvo S40 DRIVe start/stop wins What Car? Green Car of the Year