There's no denying the fact that Volvo has always been in the forefront when it comes to safety in automobiles. But that's not the only department Volvo spends most of its R&D budget, but Pollution control is also one of them. While environmental emission is one of the big issues, Volvo works hard on improving the in-cabin environment.
In the same context, Volvo India recently organized a panel discussion in Delhi, featuring some of the eminent scientist and engineers from India and Sweden. The panel was led by Andreas Andersson, Attribute Leader Environment Impact, Sweden. Dr. Radha Goyal, Head, R&D Indian Pollution Control Association, Dr. Gita Gangadharan, ENT Surgeon, Max Super Specialty Hospital and Tom von Bonsdroff, MD, Volvo India were part of the panel discussion.
Dr. Radha Goyal gave some interesting and eye-opening statistics about the pollution levels in Delhi and India. Dr. Gita told about the implications and health hazards of the pollution through cars. Andreas gave an insight about the CleanZone technology by Volvo that controls the air quality inside a Volvo car and Tom reiterated Volvo's commitment to pollution along side safety.
Some interesting facts from the discussion came to be -
· WHO declared Delhi the most polluted city among 1600 cities globally.
· Delhi's air quality is deteriorating everyday with the particulate matter levels crossing 700 per cubic metre.
· This limit is 12 times more than the permissible limits.
A Volvo XC90 was used for demonstration purposes and the results were astonishing. The pm2.5 value outside was 60 ppm and as soon as you take the device inside, it comes down to 0.8 ppm within minutes. Similarly, pm10 value were 200 ppm outside, two times the permissible limits, whereas inside the cabin it was recorded at 2.5 ppm.
Tom von Bonsdroff says "Up to 45% of the industrialized world's population is now suffering from some form of allergy or hypersensitivity. Over 10% has asthma. At Volvo, our commitment to safety goes well beyond safety belts and air bags. It's about making sure that every minute you and your family spend in a Volvo is as safe as it can possibly be. That includes breathing".
Andreas Andersson says" All around the world consumers are becoming increasing aware of how air quality can impact health, and are now demanding cleaner air inside their vehicles. With this increasing awareness, Volvo Cars has also implemented rigorous test programmes to monitor and control emissions. With its focus on health and well-being, CleanZone represents the spirit of Volvo Cars' human-centric approach to its work".
It's good to see a manufacturer like Volvo coming out and extending support to reduce pollution both inside and outside the car.