When it comes to car safety, the first brand that comes to mind to most auto experts is Volvo.
According to the company itself, its founders went to the extent of calling humans the most important part of their vehicles, meaning that everything they worked on developing put humans first. While this kind of talk may seem somewhat utopian to most automakers, the creators of Volvo managed to make it their business plan, leading to the development of vehicles that have always been much safer than its competitors.
Following the long tradition of safety, the company is now launching a new model fitted with its new SPA scalable platform and Volvo’s signature Drive-E hybrid powertrain. Both features have been developed by the company’s expert team of engineers dedicated to making the safest vehicles available.
Volvo hopes to make crash-free cars within the next five years, and its recently-released features could serve as glimpse into the future. According to some experts looking into the models developed by Volvo believe that certain important aspects of the Swedish company’s methodology indicate that they could pull their goal off, making some of the safest vehicles in the industry. But what exactly makes these vehicles safer than others?
Making Cars Out of Resistant Materials Protects Occupants
Volvo’s team is well-known for avoiding the use of aluminum in its cars. According to the company’s engineers, the latest XC90 uses 40 percent ultra high strength steel for its body. This type of material makes it easier for the manufacturer to develop thinner parts that are five times sturdier than parts developed by many other automakers. This type of material is used to build the seats. According to experts, this material makes for a safer car since the driver’s and passengers’ body could suffer greatly in case the car ends up in a ditch. The high strength steel reduces vertical forces, thus protecting the driver’s spine.
The Importance of Crash Tests
Volvo also invests a lot of its time and money in car safety performance tests.
According to some reports, the company believes that agencies such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Euro NCAP fail to detect serious design flaws with most vehicles due to their somewhat outdated test systems. Volvo vehicles are usually tested by the company’s own testing systems, which have been changing with every new discovery its engineers make. The small overlap-style impact tests that the IIHS has recently added to its list of tests has been used by Volvo for over 20 years, for instance. This kind of focus on safety makes the company one of the most dedicated to the well-being of consumers in the world.
Autonomous Tech You Can Trust
The company has also been developing its own autonomous technology, but unlike Google, its goal with the development of its features is to maintain its drivers and passengers safe, not to make the relax while behind the wheel.
Autonomous driving functions newer Volvo cars are fitted with are developed to make sure that occupants are safe in situations that are often missed by most motorists. Claiming their goal is safety, not robotic engineering, Volvo has its own approach to the autonomous car technology, making use of innovation without focusing on what any automaker feels it’s impossible to accomplish right now.
Whether you’re a Volvo owner or not, it’s important to note the innovations the company embraces when it comes to developing cars that protect their occupants. If you’re curious to know more about this company and its work to protect the consumer, follow this link.