Volvo to invest 7b yuan in R&D work over next five years

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai June 11)- Following a recent investment of 10 billion yuan ($1.59b), Volvo is planning to devote another 70 billion yuan ($11.04b) over the next five years to help aid research and development of environmentally friendly technologies, Beijing News reported today.

The manufacturer has reportedly already made several advancements in electronic climate control and air quality systems for automobile interiors. As the Chinese automobile market continues to grow, poor air quality inside cars is becoming an increasingly severe problem. Although Western countries have already enacted strict standards for automobile indoor air quality, China has yet to follow suit.

In an official statement, Volvo confirmed that its vehicles adhere to national guidelines for passenger automobile air quality released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in March. Andreas Andersson, manager of the department focusing on interior air quality, revealed that future Volvos will have blue and red lights on their vents to inform the driver and passengers of the current air quality. If the air quality is found to be severely poor, the vehicle's automatic air purification system will kick into action.

According to Shen Feng, vice president of research and development, ever since Volvo established a department exclusively focused on air quality management in 2001, the manufacturer has put a lot of effort in producing vehicles to meet the strictest of standards. The manufacturer has even gone as far as setting up a 'nose team', a small test panel whose job is to ensure the every new Volvo has a pleasant smell.