The second episode of the Let’s Talk Mobility podcast has dropped and it’s well worth checking it out. This time, the conversation is with Volvo Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Karin Svensson.
Volvo Group is not to be confused with Volvo Cars! Volvo Group produces heavy vehicles like buses, trucks and construction machinery.
Karin Svensson explains how the company is aiming to achieve net zero as a company by 2040. Most important in achieving this is switching its vehicles to be more sustainable when they are used. She explains that 95% of the company’s emissions footprint is generated by the vehicles when they are actually being driven. Changing them to battery electric, fuel cell or hydrogen reduces this to zero.
She explains: ”We actually talk about our three pronged approach. And in that we say that electrification, either by battery electric, or fuel cell electric is sort of the key. But we also think that there’s still a room or a role to play for the internal combustion engine. You could actually put hydrogen into the internal combustion engine, and by that, then make it fossil free.”
Volvo Group partners with Al-Futtaim Group to provide electric buses, trucks and heavy plant machinery to the region. The first electric digger is now available in the UAE. These will drastically improve the construction business producing no emissions, as well as being quieter and more comfortable to operate than traditional diesel vehicles.
Karin Svensson talks about four requisites for the electrification journey. “First of all, there needs to be vehicles and machines, and I think we can say that is there. The second thing is public charging infrastructure of different kinds. We see that there is a big need to increase the charging infrastructure. The third thing is access to renewable energy – that is needed in order to build charging infrastructure. But it’s also needed for fossil-free steel, for example; it’s needed in our factories and operations all over the world. And last but not least, we need a policy landscape that is adapted to electrification. If you are an operator or buyer of a truck, it needs to be either less expensive, or not at least more expensive to drive one kilometer on electricity than to drive one kilometer on diesel. And today, that’s not really the case. So that’s also something that the policy landscape needs to work on.”
The Let’s Talk Mobility podcast is available now to subscribe, listen and watch on Spotify (@al-futtaim-automotive) and YouTube (@alfuttaimautogroup).
