Sweden built the closest thing we have to a perfect engine. Volvo has always been a company that represented the Swedish nation and has a reputation as doing things a bit different to their German and Italian counterparts. So it comes as no surprise that they developed an engine 15 years ago that would fit the current market nearly perfectly. So could the Swedish car maker bring the engine back into production? Can this old design make its way to the modern automotive market? Let us examine further.
What made the Volvo engine so special 15 years ago? Is it capable of handling today’s market?
What made the Volvo engine so different back in 2009? The trend at the time was alternative fuel solutions. A range of companies were concentrated on developing cars that could run on bioethanol fuels. Or at least a mixture of bioethanol and gasoline. The EV market was basically non-existent at the time so the focus was on making the technology of the time more sustainable.
Since then, the electric vehicle made the implementation of this technology unnecessary. The engine was capable of running on 75% bioethanol and 15% gasoline, which was remarkable at the time. The concept of a car that could run on something other than gasoline was a promising one to say the least. The technology was used in Volvo’s 2008 V70 and S80 models.
The idea at the time according to Volvo was that it would offer extended range and torque stats for their larger cars. Which was a problem. But with the emergence of Tesla and the electric car in the late 2000’s, the focus of the automotive market has shifted to the EV. Even Volvo saw the appeal a fully electric car offered the consumer and the remarkable sales Tesla experienced.
Can the Volvo technology beat the current crop of alternative power options used by cars?
The technology that Volvo used 15 years ago has made a comeback recently. Other major car manufacturers have since invested heavily in the bioethanol technology that could replace the EV market entirely. The market is currently looking for an alternative after the recent limitations and negative public opinion surrounding the EV sector.
The rise in the electric vehicle was seen as the way of the future. With a serious amount of money still being invested in the sector, the end is not in sight. But the car manufacturers of the world need to keep all available options open. So the engine that Volvo used 15 years ago could make a resurgence and lead the way forward. Will the Swedish company invest in their existing tech?
Volvo has long been an industry leader. Their larger cars like the V70 are regarded as some of the best cars in the sector. Extreme levels of comfort and remarkable build quality are just a few aspects of their cars. They have long been able to adjust to suit the needs of the market while doing things in their own way. And perhaps that is what led them to where they are now.
Will the world accept a return to alternative fuels? Is it a step backward?
The automotive market is a volatile place to do business nowadays. Their American counterparts are experiencing problems, so can Sweden emerge as the new leader in the future of the car? Will they be able to engineer a new version of that engine from 2009? Will the world even accept the step back toward an engine that has been waiting for us for 15 years? If the boffins at Volvo can see the potential the engine offers in stirring up the automotive market, they might be inclined to look at the technology once more.
