USA SALES FEBRUARY - Volvo grows again making eight straight months of double digit growth.

• Posts Eighth Month of Double Digit Sales Growth

Volvo Car USA, LLC, (VCUSA) reported U.S. sales of 5,260 vehicles, a 33.1 percent increase versus February 2015. The top seller for the month was the award winning XC90 luxury SUV with 2,472 vehicles sold, a four percent increase versus January 2016. Year-to-date sales are up 21.8 percent.

“The XC90 continues to contribute to our sales momentum, and we have yet to reach its full potential,” said Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Car USA. “Over the next few months it will be joined by the S90 luxury sedan and the top-of-the-line four seat XC90 Excellence, with the newly-unveiled V90 following later.”

Volvo is implementing a sweeping $11 billion transformation plan that has involved the development of its own modular vehicle architecture, a new engine range, global manufacturing capability, a completely renewed product range and world leading developments in safety, autonomous driving and connectivity.

VOLVO 2 - The head of Volvo Car USA shares it's plan to deal with global challenges facing the auto industry

The head of Volvo Car USA helped open the Chicago Auto Show today by sharing the Swedish automaker’s plan to deal with global challenges facing the auto industry.

Addressing the Economic Club of Chicago, Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Americas and President and CEO, Volvo Car USA, presented the company’s outlook on how emissions, congestion and accidents will shape tomorrow’s driving experience, and how they have shaped Volvo’s business strategy.

Standing beside the new S90 luxury sedan set to go on sale later this year, Kerssemakers pointed out the car is the second of nine new models Volvo will introduce in the next four years, and the first car in the U.S. to come with semi-autonomous driving features as standard equipment.

A Bold Vision

Volvo was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1927 based on the guiding principle beind everything the company makes is, and must remain, safety. This has driven the company’s efforts to build cars that protect occupants. Volvo’s many world firsts in safety include the three-point seatbelt, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Side Impact Protection System (SIPS).

Vision 2020 is Volvo’s latest safety initiative. Launched in 2007 it states that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by the year 2020.

“It is unacceptable that more than 1.2 million people are killed in traffic annually,” Kerssemakers said. “Here in the US, the figure is approximately 33,000 people. Zero is the only acceptable number for us to work toward.”

He continued, “Volvo has always been a leader in safety innovation. And now technologies such as our low speed autonomous braking solution, pedestrian, cyclist, and animal detection all are key steps on our autonomous drive journey. As they have evolved as individual solutions, we now bring them together in an intricate and advanced system. This allows us to offer our second generation semi-autonomous system on the all new Volvo S90.”

The S90 will be the first vehicle for sale with semi-AD standard. It will be able to accelerate, brake and steer at speeds up to 80mph, without needing a car to follow in front.  

In addition to safety, Volvo’s Vision 2020 is about reducing traffic congestion. In 2014 Americans collectively lost 6.9 billion hours to congestion. Chicago is the eighth most congested city in the U.S. Chicagoans together lost a total of 302 million hours due to congestion and nearly $1,500 per driver, well above the nationwide average of $960.

“At the end of 2017 we will have the largest and world's first fleet of 100 autonomous vehicles in the hands of real customers,” Kerssemakers told the audience. “’Drive Me’ is a unique collaboration between Volvo Cars and other stakeholders in our home town of Gothenburg, Sweden. It will allow real customer feedback to help develop the first AD cars available to a wider audience. It will also assist authorities to understand how legislation, infrastructure planning and other societal elements will need to develop.”

USA - Volvo multi Billion investment has delivered a stunning SUV, the XC90, and now, the amazing S90 Sedan.

Volvo Cars has chosen the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit to launch its new signature premium sedan, the S90, underscoring its long term commitment to the US market and providing a clear sign of its confidence in continued sales growth in the coming year.

Volvo sales in the US increased 24.3 per cent in 2015, with an especially strong performance at the end of the year with sales rising 87 per cent in October, 90 per cent in November and 89.9 per cent in December, driven by continued strong sales of the XC60 crossover and the new XC90 SUV.

“There are strong indications that Volvo is back on track in the US,” said Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President of the Americas at Volvo Car Group. “We expect this strong sales momentum to continue in 2016, helped by the new S90.”

The launch of the S90 highlights the ambition of the Swedish car maker, following an $11bn investment and the recent breaking of ground in Charleston, South Carolina, where Volvo Cars will build its first American production facility, employing around 2,000 workers.

“We have always placed great significance on our presence in the US. That is why we decided to present our S90 to the public for the very first time at the Detroit show, and why we have begun to build a Volvo factory here,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO of Volvo Car Group.

The launch of the new S90 forms the second chapter in the complete renewal of Volvo’s product range, which began in 2015 with the new XC90 SUV.

The XC90 received around 88,000 pre-orders in 2015, surpassing the company’s expectations of around 50,000 and providing a strong signal that customers appreciate Volvo’s new design, engineering and technological direction.

The S90 has been widely praised since its reveal to the world’s press in December for its stunning exterior and sumptuous interior. 

Its proud yet non-aggressive face, characterised by a concave grille, itself a homage to the Volvo P1800, is home to Volvo’s new Iron Mark. The T-shaped Thor’s Hammer lights deliver a powerful sense of direction that makes the S90 unmistakable on the road.

Inside this low, four-door coupé, Volvo has taken cues from the success of its XC90 model and raised the bar with some stunning details on the new dashboard and instrument panel, including new air blades that stand vertically on each side of the Sensus user interface.

“We created our new flagship sedan, the Volvo S90, as a real game changer. It is classy and cool. The exterior is exceptionally well surfaced with a fantastic stance and the sort of clean lines that are singularly appropriate of a Scandinavian design. 

The interior masters the art of blending innovative technology and natural materials into an elegant, welcoming and tasteful ambience, Swedishness at its best,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President, Design at Volvo Car Group.

Semi-autonomous drive

The S90 launches with IntelliSafe Assist as standard. This includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert and the advanced semi-autonomous drive feature, Pilot Assist.

The Pilot Assist functionality gives gentle steering input to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to motorway speeds of around 80 mph (130 km/h) and no longer needs to follow another car. 

Pilot Assist is another step towards full autonomous drive – a key innovation area for Volvo, and one which is highlighted at the show with the Concept 26 display, which envisions how a car interior could look and feel in a fully autonomous Volvo.

Hybrid powertrain option

The S90 comes with a clean and powerful T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain, delivering up to 410 hp of smile-inducing power that literally offers three different car experiences in one – Pure – Hybrid and Power.

World leading safety

The S90 also introduces a world first function to City Safety - large animal detection - a feature capable of detecting large animals such as large deer, horses or moose/elk, night or day. The technology offers an intuitive warning and brake support to help avoid or mitigate collisions with large animals.

Class leading driveability

The S90 has also benefitted from Volvo Cars’ recent investment in a highly advanced chassis simulator.

“The S90 has taken a big stride forwards in terms of driving dynamics, performance and ride. We have completely redesigned the Volvo driving experience from the ground up to deliver a sense of precision, engaging control and comfort,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

USA - The Awesome Volvo XC90 takes the 2016 North American Truck Of The Year Award, well deserved.

The Volvo XC90 has been named 2016 North American Truck of the Year. Fifty-three automotive journalists from the United States and Canada voted for the luxury SUV for being a benchmark in its segment, based on factors including innovation, comfort, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the XC90 has won this prestigious and most respected award,” said Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Car USA, “and there is a lot more to come. By 2019 Volvo will have a totally renewed product portfolio. By then the all-new XC90 will be the oldest car in the showroom.”

It is the second time the XC90 has won the North American Truck of the Year award. The first was in 2003, when the vehicle was originally introduced.

“The XC90 is a past winner of our award,” said Tony Swan, a 23-year member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year Jury. 

“That vehicle was obviously outstanding, but the new XC90’s blend of advanced technology, performance and craftsmanship stands out even more, against much more sophisticated competition.”

The Volvo XC90 features all new platform, powertrain and semi-autonomous driving technologies that set a new standard for the luxury SUV segment. It is available in five or seven-passenger, front or all-wheel-drive configurations with powerful and efficient 250- or 316-horsepower turbocharged and dual-charged engines that can deliver up to an EPA rated 25 MPG. 

The XC90 is also be available with a 400-horsepower, 53 MPGe hybrid electric powertrain, making it the world’s first seven passenger Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

All XC90s feature Volvo’s award-winning Sensus infotainment system, which centers on an intuitive, tablet-like touch screen that puts all of the vehicle’s systems and functions at the driver’s fingertips. Volvo City Safety, which includes Pedestrian Detection with Automatic Emergency Braking, automatically applies the brakes should a collision be imminent, is also standard. 

The available Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system will control vehicle speed and direction at speeds up to 30 MPH. Prices start at $43,900.

US SALES SEPTEMBER - VOLVO - Huge growth in the USA, will continue with a massive investment.

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, (VCNA) reported U.S. sales of 5,527 units, an 18.4 percent increase versus September 2014. Year-to-date sales are up 5.8 percent over the first nine months of 2014.

The strong sales demand for the XC60 continues with 2,217 units sold, a 39.2 percent increase versus September 2014 and a 34 percent increase year-to-date. The S60 followed with 1,265 units sold, followed by the all-new XC90 with 1,182 units sold.

“We continue to see impressive sales with the XC60 in the US market,” said Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “This, coupled with the all-new XC90 leading to increased brand awareness, has been a true recipe for success for us.”

Following an $11 billion investment, the positive momentum has materialized with the first all-new model off the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, the XC90, with world-first safety technologies, a new design language, new powertrain architecture and a range of class-leading connectivity services.

Volvo formally signed an agreement to locate its first US production facility in South Carolina.

Volvo Cars has formally signed an agreement to locate its first American factory in South Carolina at an event attended by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and key public officials in Charleston. This paves the way for the fall 2015 ground-breaking of a full manufacturing facility capable of producing up to 100,000 cars per year. The first American built Volvos are expected to roll off the assembly line in late 2018. 

 “Today we formalize an important milestone in Volvo Cars’ global transformation in the United States,” says Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, “our planned American factory demonstrates our commitment to the United States and our desire to be a truly global automaker.”

In addition to the signing, Volvo Cars announced plans to preserve 1,500 acres of wetlands with the State of South Carolina to support a “green belt” around the greater Charleston region. Volvo is also working with the local utility to power the factory with renewable energy and reroute storm water to form ponds that simulate wildlife habitats. Improvements to local roadway infrastructure will also ensure the factory has a minimal impact on the local environment.

Once completed, Volvo Cars will be able to manufacture vehicles on three continents, underscoring its position as a truly global car maker. It already operates two plants in Europe and two in China. The new US plant forms part of an ambitious medium term expansion plan to double global sales, boost market share and lift profitability.

Volvo Cars estimates that the factory will employ up to 2,000 people over the next decade and up to 4,000 people in the longer term. An economic impact analysis compiled by Dr. Frank Hefner at the College of Charleston estimates that, for an initial 2,000 direct jobs, more than 8,000 total jobs would be created as a result. The plant would contribute approximately $4.8 billion in total economic output on an annual basis.