Nadine Filion, Ted Laturnus honoured at annual AJAC awards dinner in Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, ON (Oct. 25, 2013) – Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. is pleased to announce the winner of the 2013 Volvo Environmental Journalism Award is Nadine Filion. Presented by Volvo Cars of Canada President and CEO Marc Engelen at the 30th Automobile Journalist Association of Canada (AJAC) awards Thursday evening in Niagara Falls, Filion was honoured with a custom piston trophy constructed using recycled parts from an actual Volvo.
The Volvo Award for Environmental Journalism was established in 1999 to encourage the reporting of environmental issues and has evolved over the years to include a vast spectrum of topics related to the Canadian automotive industry. Filion has accumulated many awards over the years, including this very award in 2006 and Journalist of the Year in 2004, 2006 and 2012. The jury noted that it was the only entry that made the top three for each of the judges.
Chosen by a collection of non-partisan jury members, Filion’s entry was selected due to the comprehensive and in-depth examination of conventional gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains - all within the same model of vehicle. Her exploration undertook a thorough examination of the benefits and trade-offs of the available technologies within the trio of vehicles - including performance, cost, efficiency and overall convenience. It allowed readers concerned about the environment to make a more informed choice about vehicles and technologies available to them.
This year’s runner-up for the 2013 Volvo Award for Environmental Journalism is Ted Laturnus, who has also
received many accolades over the years, including being chosen as the ‘Journalist of the Year’ in 1988 and 1989. More recently, he was runner-up for the Wakefield Castrol Award for Automotive Writing in 2012.
“I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to both Nadine and Ted for their talent and efforts,” said Volvo Cars of Canada President and CEO Marc Engelen, who presented both awards Thursday evening. “Impartial
reporting on environmental issues affecting the Canadian automotive industry is crucial in ensuring that consumers are able to make educated purchasing decisions.”
Long before it was considered in fashion, Volvo expressed its ambition to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. With the introduction of a new, more comprehensive environmental policy, it was decided that Volvo must act “at all possible levels to contribute towards a better environment for the future.”
‘Care for the Environment’ continues to be a core value for Volvo Cars, encompassing everything from research and development to manufacturing, service and recycling practices.
“Drive-E” is a sub brand that includes all environmental efforts, which includes the development of a new, high-efficiency four-cylinder family of engines being produced at a state of the art facility in Skövde, Sweden. Controlling the development and production of these Drive-E powertrains in-house forms a vital element of Volvo’s strategy for independence and future success.
By reducing the number of engine variants, the result is increased production efficiency and flexibility from seven powertrains to two, along with a greater ability to control quality. The modular and compact transverse design is also ideal for future electrification and hybrid developments. The new, smaller, lighter engines are optimized to deliver higher performance than today's six-cylinder units, while offering up to 25 percent lower fuel consumption than the current generation of four-cylinders.
Intelligent solutions for combining supercharging and turbocharging technology mated to a new eight-speed automatic gear box results in powerful, highly efficient, four-cylinder engines that won’t compromise the expectations of luxury car buyers on driving pleasure or performance.
Volvo Cars of Canada Corp. is part of the Volvo Car Group of Gothenburg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 38 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The S60 and XC60 are among only 18 vehicles that were awarded the prestigious new Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).
