Volvo Car Corporation took 16 gold medals at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Paris

With the flagships from its environmental car program, Volvo Car Corporation placed at the top during the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006 in Paris this weekend. Volvo Car Corporation competed with its new Multi-Fuel prototype car, two cars with engines that run on renewable fuels, and a clean and fuel-efficient diesel.
Volvo’s cars received a total of 16 gold medals, which was more than any other participating manufacturer in the passenger car class. The good results from the competition confirm Volvo Car Corporation’s role as a leading manufacturer of cars with a high level of environmental and safety performance.

The participants in the Michelin Challenge Bibendum competed in seven areas: acceleration, braking, slalom, noise, emissions, fuel efficiency, and carbon dioxide emissions. Volvo Car Corporation took a total of 16 gold medals, see the complete table below.

VOLVO CAR CORPORATION’S RESULTS FROM THE COMPETITION

Volvo Multi-Fuel
In the class for prototype cars, the Volvo Multi-Fuel won four gold medals for its clean emissions and low noise, and for the excellent results from the acceleration test from 0–100 km/h, and the braking test. Other prizes were won in the categories fuel efficiency, slalom, and carbon dioxide emissions.
“The prizes in the Challenge Bibendum 2006 show that we have succeeded in combining an environmentally adapted engine with high performance,” says Mats Morén, project manager for Volvo Car Corporation’s Multi-Fuel project.

Volvo S40 1.6D
Volvo Car Corporation’s most fuel-efficient car ever consumes 4.9 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, is fitted with a particulate filter, and has 15–20% lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to petrol. This gave the Volvo S40 1.6D gold medals in the areas of fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions, and an additional two gold medals in the braking and noise test.

Volvo V50 FlexiFuel
One of Volvo Car Corporation’s engines for bioethanol E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol), the V50 FlexiFuel, showed excellent results in the competition, with five gold medals in the classes fuel efficiency, emissions, noise, slalom and braking. No other car competing in the passenger car class managed to win more than 5 gold medals.

Volvo S60 Bi-Fuel
With gold medals for braking, emissions, and carbon dioxide emissions, the Volvo S60 Bi-Fuel also placed at the top of the competition.

Work continues with sustainable solutions
Hans Folkesson, previously Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Volvo Car Corporation, and who is now responsible for environmental technology for Ford’s European operations, summarises the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006:
“We wanted to display the technology that we already offer and at the same time present our efforts for the future in the areas of the environment and safety,” says Hans Folkesson. “Volvo Car Corporation is working with several different areas of technology for sustainable mobility, something that is reflected in our broad range of environmentally adapted cars. We hope that our work will inspire politicians, government agencies, manufacturers, and distributors to improve the infrastructure for sustainable fuels so that the technology will benefit the environment and society to an increasing extent,” concludes Hans Folkesson.

For further information, please contact Christer Gustafsson, cgustaf4@volvocars.com, tel: +46 31 59 65 25

One vision. Different ways
Volvo Car Corporation offers a wide range of models that can be driven on sustainable fuels. We have a tradition of developing safe solutions that make a difference here and now.

/MP