Volvo Cars and Autoliv Inc, the worldwide leader in automotive safety, have signed a letter of intent to set up a new jointly owned company.

Volvo Cars, the global premium car maker, and Autoliv Inc (NYSE: ALV and SSE: ALIVsdb), the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, have signed a letter of intent to set up a new jointly owned company to develop next-generation autonomous driving software.

The planned new company will have its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, and an initial workforce taken from both companies of around 200, increasing to more than 600 in the medium term. The company is expected to start operations in the beginning of 2017.

The joint venture will create a new entrant in the growing global market for autonomous driving software systems. It marks the first time a leading premium car maker has joined forces with a tier-one supplier to develop new ADAS and AD technologies.

The new company, which has yet to be named, will develop advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous drive (AD) systems for use in Volvo cars and for sale exclusively by Autoliv to all car makers globally, with revenues shared by both companies.

The joint venture will bring together two global leaders in automotive safety, underlining the contribution ADAS and AD can make to road safety, and speeding up the development and introduction of fully autonomous cars.

Volvo Cars has an established reputation for making some of the world’s safest cars, having invented the three-point safety belt and having consistently developed and introduced world-leading active and passive safety systems. It has a medium-term vision that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020.

Autoliv is the world’s leading supplier of safety systems to car makers worldwide, and has led the way in the development and introduction of active and passive safety technologies to the world’s car makers for more than 60 years.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said: “By combining our know-how and resources, we will create a world leader in AD software development. This means we can introduce this exciting technology to our customers faster.”

Jan Carlson, chairman, chief executive and president of Autoliv, said: “There are no two companies that can claim to have done more for automotive safety worldwide than Autoliv and Volvo. This new company is a recognition of the fact that autonomous driving is the next step to transform road safety.”

Both Autoliv and Volvo Cars will licence and transfer the intellectual property for their ADAS systems to the joint venture. From this base, the company will develop new ADAS technologies and AD systems. It expects to have its first ADAS products available for sale by 2019, with AD technologies available by 2021.

Autoliv will be the exclusive supplier and distribution channel for all the new company’s products towards third parties, except Volvo Cars, which will source directly from the new company. Its management will comprise of representatives from Autoliv and Volvo Cars.

Dennis Nobelius, managing director of Volvo Switzerland and formerly vice president vehicle line 90 at Volvo Cars, will be the chief executive of the new joint venture.

Volvo Car UK has announced Human Made Stories, a series of short films in partnership with Sky Atlantic.

Volvo Car UK has today announced Human Made Stories, a series of short films in partnership with Sky Atlantic, to mark its new 90 Series range of cars.

In parallel with Volvo's values of innovation, sustainability, craftsmanship and design, Human Made Stories conveys the Volvo philosophy to always put people first by telling the stories of three defiant pioneers: people who inherently do things differently, challenge conventions and create their own path.

Premiering at 23:00 on 8th September exclusively on Sky Atlantic (Sky EPG 108), the series will then be available as on-demand content for 12 months. The films will also be promoted through 24 new idents (a continuation of Volvo's existing sponsorship of Sky Atlantic), as well as on social and digital media.

The series comprises three unique episodes* focusing on different individuals who each align with Volvo's innovations and brand values:

• Oliver Armitage, an innovative engineer whose lifelong pursuit is making human and machine work together seamlessly. Along with his team from Cambridge, Oliver works with amputees to develop smart prostheses that transform their lives. Like Volvo, he lives and breathes human centricity and connectivity.
• Maria Rindstam and Josefin Arrhénborg, Swedish entrepreneurs who salvage boat wrecks from the Stockholm archipelago to reduce the impact on the local nature. Just as Volvo does, with 85% recyclable cars, the progressive pair are focused on preserving the environment for future generations.
• Erik Johansson, a surreal photographer who captures ideas instead of moments, is obsessed with his craft. By bringing an engineering approach to art, he is constantly challenging conventions to achieve the impossible – as is Volvo as it works towards its vision, through the development of autonomous driving and active safety technologies, of zero deaths in new Volvo cars by 2020.

The partnership between Volvo Car UK and Sky Atlantic was brokered by Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, and Mindshare. The creatives were executed by Grey London.

Announcing the launch, Georgina Williams, Head of Marketing at Volvo Car UK, says: "Everything we do at Volvo centres on people – we want to make life less complicated, safer and more enjoyable. So every innovation is designed to simplify and improve the lives of those who drive a Volvo.

"In Human Made Stories, we wanted to profile people who share that ethos. Oliver, Maria, Josefin and Erik are all determined in their mission to push boundaries and make the world a better place. They are each relentless in their pursuit of craft and innovation to drive the world forward – a trait shared by Volvo."

Zai Bennett, Channel Head at Sky Atlantic, concludes: "We are thrilled to be working with our channel sponsor, Volvo, to continue what is a truly great partnership. Volvo's Human Made Stories align perfectly with our own values; immersive, cinematic and thought provoking, and so we are excited to be showing these short films exclusively to our viewers both on-air and onDemand."  

Further episodes in the Human Made Series will be unveiled over the coming year. Explore Volvo's stories, projects and partnerships further with #HumanMade.

UK SALES 2015 - Volvo continues to grow in the UK, with new models coming on stream this will surely grow more.

• Volvo Car UK sold 43,432 cars in 2015
• 6% year-on-year increase
• V40/V40 Cross Country was Volvo UK’s biggest seller, with 17,068 sold
• Volvo Cars reveals global all-time record sales figure of 503,127 in 2015

Volvo Car UK is celebrating its best sales performance in 21 years, with 43,432 cars sold in 2015. This represents a 6% increase on 2014’s impressive results, and is further proof of the desirability of Volvo’s cars.

The V40/V40 Cross Country was the biggest-selling model in the UK, with 17,068 sold, followed by the XC60 (13,920) and the V60 (3,353).

Demand for the all-new XC90 was also strong. A total of 2,981 were sold in 2015, which highlights how well Volvo’s new design direction and high-tech connectivity features have been received by customers.

This all helped Volvo Cars achieve a record-breaking global sales figure of 503,127 in 2015 – the first time Volvo has sold more than half a million cars in its 89-year history.

Commenting on the sales performance, Nick Connor, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “2015 was a tremendous year for Volvo. With the strongest sales here in the UK for two decades, and the highest sales worldwide ever, Volvo is a brand that is going places. 

And with other technologically advanced, luxurious and distinctive models on the horizon, we’re confident that these record-breaking figures will continue into 2016 and beyond.”

Jon Wakefield, Sales Director for Volvo Car UK, added: “Everyone in our dealer network and in Volvo Car UK should be immensely proud of these excellent sales figures. The introduction of fantastic new products, combined with the continuing strong sales of established models such as the XC60 and the magnificent performance of our dealers, has resulted in another year of growth and success for Volvo in the UK. 

With such a strong range of cars to sell and some excellent-value finance deals to offer, we and our dealers are looking forward to another superb year in 2016.”

WORLDWIDE SALES 2015 - Volvo continues to grow under Chinese ownership, shame Ford couldn't do it.

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, sold 503,127 cars in 2015, the first time it has sold more than half a million cars in its 89-year history.

The new sales record underscores the strength and sustainability of Volvo’s ongoing operational and financial transformation. It is also an endorsement of the company’s new product strategy, with global sales boosted in the later stages of 2015 by the new XC90 SUV.

Volvo reported strong sales from all three core global regions. Sales in Europe rose 10.6 per cent for the year to 269,249, representing 53.5 per cent of total global volume. 

Volvo’s revival in the US gained momentum, with sales up 24.3 per cent in 2015. China was flat amid a challenging sales environment, but looked stronger at the end of the year, with sales up 11.4 per cent in the fourth quarter.

These upward sales trends are expected to continue in 2016.

The second of Volvo’s all-new model range – the S90 premium saloon – is being revealed to the public at this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit and will go on sale in the US in the Spring. In four years, Volvo will have renewed its entire model range. 

“I am delighted to report that 2015 was a year of record sales,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. “Now with a successful 2015 behind us, Volvo is about to enter the second phase of its global transformation. 

Once completed, Volvo will have ceased being a minor automotive player and taken its position as a truly global premium car company. More records will tumble in coming years.”

The second phase of Volvo’s transformation does not lack ambition.

In coming years, Volvo will continue to reposition its brand to compete with its global premium rivals. It will continue to revive its operations in the US and develop its global manufacturing footprint. 

In the medium term, it will continue to grow in China, double its market share in Europe and increase its sales globally to 800,000 cars. It will introduce an entirely new model range, embed its new engine technologies and maintain its position as the leader in car safety and autonomous drive technologies.

In the future, Volvo’s larger 90 series and 60 series cars will be built on its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). Volvo will also implement a global small-car strategy, introducing the quality and technical sophistication that is available on SPA to smaller cars on its Compact Modular Architecture (CMA).

Volvo will in future entrench its position as a leading global maker of hybrids, with a series of four- and three-cylinder hybrid engines, offering world-beating combinations of power and emissions.

It will also develop an all-electric car for the first time. Volvo expects at least 10 per cent of its annual sales to be electrified vehicles in the medium term.

Volvo Cars has made significant progress since being acquired by Zhejiang Geely Holdings in 2010, not least in expanding its manufacturing footprint. The announcement this year of its new factory in South Carolina in the US means Volvo now has an industrial presence in all three key global regions – Asia, Europe and the US.

Retail sales status (deliveries to end customers) for Volvo Car Group is as follows:

	December				January – December
	2014	2015	Change		2014	2015	Change
China	8 503	9 822	15.5%		81 574	81 588	0.0%
USA	4 920	9 341	89.9%		56 371	70 047	24.3%
Sweden	6 265	9 081	44.9%		61 357	71 200	16.0%
Western Europe	18 874	24 451	29.5%		182 157	198 049	8.7%
Other markets	8 483	9 430	11.2%		84 407	82 243	-2.6%
TOTAL	47 045	62 125	32.1%		465 866	503 127	8.0%

USA - Volvo to showcase Autonomous driving at the Consumer Electronic Show.

Volvo Cars is looking ahead to when its drivers can sit back and enjoy free time in their car on the daily commute.

At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Volvo revealed that it is developing intelligent, high-bandwidth streaming capabilities with its technology partner, Ericsson, that will ensure drivers and passengers get the most out of their time travelling in an autonomous Volvo.

“We recently unveiled our design vision for fully autonomous cars with Concept 26. Now we are actively working on future solutions to deliver the best user experience in fully autonomous mode.

Imagine a highway full of autonomous cars with their occupants sitting back watching their favourite TV shows in high definition. This new way of commuting will demand new technology and a much broader bandwidth to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience,” said Anders Tylman, General Manager Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center at Volvo Car Group.

Interruption-free media streaming

Autonomous drive will bring a paradigm shift to mobile net demands. Volvo and Ericsson believe that this shift will result in an increased need for consistent and high-bandwidth coverage outside densely populated areas such as city centres and suburbs.

Utilising Ericsson’s network and cloud expertise, Volvo Cars’ aim is to deliver a high-quality, interruption-free experience in its cars while on the move. By predicting your route and looking ahead at network conditions, content can be tailored to the duration of each trip and intelligently buffered to deliver a high-quality and uninterrupted viewing experience.

“Our research shows that almost 70 per cent of all mobile data traffic will be from video in the coming years. 

This requires an innovative connectivity, cloud and analytics solution that is not only capable of serving multiple moving vehicles across a highway, but also has the capacity to provide the high-quality, uninterrupted video service today’s consumer is accustomed to,” said Claes Herlitz, ‎Head of Automotive Services at Ericsson.

By learning the most common routes and times of travel, and understanding media preferences, future Volvo cars will be able to provide one-click navigation and a customised preference-based list of potential media – allowing customers to choose routes and select content tailored to the amount of autonomous time that is available during their commute.

Personalised and optimised content

“If you want to watch the latest episode of your favourite series, the car will know how long the journey needs to take and can optimise the route and driving control accordingly. 

With autonomous drive it is no longer just a question of getting from A to B quickly – it’s about the experience you wish to have in the car, how you wish to spend the time you are saving. 

With our future autonomous drive technology we will provide people with the freedom to choose the way they would like to commute and the content they would like to experience,” concluded Anders Tylman.