Volvo Joins Indian-sourced Components Bandwagon
The Indian auto industry is booming and global automakers are taking advantage of the situation. Aside from being a growing market for automobiles the country is fast becoming the favorite of car manufacturers in terms of sourcing auto components. Toyota and Nissan have already expressed their plans to purchase auto parts made in India. And recently another carmaking company announced that they will be looking to buy more auto components in India.
Swedish automaker Volvo recently announced that they are going to procure auto parts from India. This means that the Swedish companys assembly plants in France United States Brazil Sweden and complete knock down plants all over the world will be supplied with auto component made in India in the near future.
Volvo has already ordered 80 million euro worth of auto parts from the prominent Indian auto parts maker. This auto parts manufacturer will start delivering Volvos order sometime this year.
Global sourcing in India is undertaken by our purchasing organization located in Europe and the US says Volvo India managing director Eric Leblanc. Volvo 3P a Volvo business unit responsible for product development purchase and product planning provides the local support to our global organization for sourcing from Indian suppliers. At Volvo we strongly believe India is increasingly becoming the global hub of auto components sourcing he added further.
The Volvo 3Ps task is to aid Volvos planed expansion in Asia. The business unit is also supposed to support the car companys developmental sites in Allentown Gothenburg Greensboro and Lyon. The other sites are in Brisbane Curitiba and in Shanghai.
Interestingly the Volvo Group also sourced its components from India. This means that not only Volvo cars will be equipped with Indianmade auto components but Volvo trucks as well. Aside from Volvo Trucks the Volvo Group also provides auto parts to Renault and Mack Trucks. Volvo Bus Volvo Construction and Volvo Penta also use components from India.
Several Original Equipment Manufacturers OEM are the ones who will provide Volvo with the auto parts they are in need of. Parts like drive axles castings sheet metal rubber parts engine components and transmission parts just like Volvo 940 parts will be supplied by Indian OEMs. This portfolio will see further inclusion over time said Leblanc. Aside from India Volvo also expressed their interest in purchasing auto parts from Mexico Brazil China Turkey and Eastern Europe.
Volvo believes emerging markets have a strong potential to serve global demand. These markets have been identified as they are quality conscious besides offering a relative cost advantage said the Volvo India director.
The interest that car manufacturers are showing in the Indian auto parts industry will be beneficial to the economy of the country. With a better economy more Indians would be able to buy cars which car manufacturers are happy to supply them with. Already India is being considered as the fastest growing auto market in the world. With the investments poured into the country by ca manufacturers it would be a winwin situation for the country and the carmakers.
The reason why car manufacturers like Toyota Nissan and now Volvo are interested in the auto parts industry in India is the lower wage in the country. By buying auto parts from India for less than what they would have to shell out if they will manufacture their own vehicles they would be saving a lot and at the same time turning in a huge profit.
About the writer: Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.
Volvo Embraces Holistic Approach To Environmentally Sound Cars
While any discussion of green automobiles tends to focus on fuel consumption and emissions the environmental impact of a cars construction and that of the materials it contains from production line to junkyard are equally critical. Volvo has taken a commanding lead in this arena guaranteeing that all of its new cars are built with 85 recyclable and 95 recoverable materials in a climate neutral manufacturing system. All materials used in the vehicles are selected based on their degree of environmental impact and customers now have access to a Volvos carbon footprint data by model.
The design program Volvo has employed in this endeavor Clean Inside and Out represents what the company refers to as a holistic approach to considering a cars environmental impact. The major points considered by the program include:
health
resource utilization
ecological production consequences
and ultimate vehicle disposal.
After a European Commission study called on new vehicles to be 85 recyclable or reusable by a deadline of 2015 Volvo achieved and surpassed the goal by 2002. The company has made the use of recycled steel iron and aluminum standard operating procedure while expensive precious metals needed for catalytic convertors are reused in new catalysts.
For the past quarter of a century Volvo has concentrated on utilizing energy sources other than those that are petroleum based. Beginning in 1982 the company used residual heat from refineries for climate control in its Torslanda Sweden factory before switching to natural gas in 1998. From January 2008 forward all Volvo manufacturing plants draw upon electricity produced by hydropower. Future projects call for the use of biogas and windpower to maintain the climate neutral condition of the facilities. At the same time harmful elements have been taken out of the manufacturing process including lead cadmium mercury and chromium which are now absent from Volvos production facilities. This concentration on the removal of toxins extends to the interior of the cars where the materials are hypoallergenic and free of hazardous substances.
Through the Volvo Exchange System the company collects used parts from dealers which are in turn remanufactured to the same level of quality as that present in new parts. Further the Exchange System makes these reconditioned parts which are guaranteed and approved by Volvo available for starter motors or for the construction of entire engines. Finally customers have access to Volvo EPI Environmental Product Information for all models which detail the cars impact on the environment throughout its life cycle from production to ultimate disposal. This highly integrated approach to building and assessing a cars green status puts the Volvo company squarely in the forefront of embracing environmentally sound vehicular use literally from start to finish.
About the writer: Remember what Joan Baez sang about? Oh Lord wont you buy me a Mercedes Benz? Why wait for someone else? Maybe its time to buy that car for yourself.
Vehicle Storage: What You Need To Know
You’ve saved your money over the years and have finally put yourself in a position where you can now afford to purchase the car you’ve always dreamed about. This is a special purchase. Although you are purchasing the car of your dreams this 80000 vehicle will not be your day to day ride. This car will serve as your joyride vehicle so to speak. Since you will only be driving this expensive car on certain occasions during the summer months who joyrides in the winter? you will certainly need to have a reliable and effective vehicle storage strategy. The purpose of this article is to alert you the reader to the various types of vehicle storage strategies so you can determine which strategy fits your vehicle best.
Indoor vehicle storage is probably the safest and most effective vehicle storage strategy. The most common form of indoor vehicle storage comes in the form of garage storage. Simply out you store your prized possession in your garage or the garage of a friend neighbor or family member. This strategy probably offers the most security and is also the most common of the vehicle storage methods. However in the unlikely event that you do not have your own garage nor can you borrow someone else’s garage for a few months you can find storage facilities in your local area that can and will provide what is usually affordable vehicle storage areas. The best providers of these services will usually offer some sort of indoor vehicle storage services. Most vehicle storage providers will also usually provide engine starting services for free although some may charge a small fee. Regardless of whether it is free or not you should always ensure that engine starting services are included. This will almost always save you money in the long run since the vehicle will be ready to roll almost immediately once the beautiful summer months and associated cruising weather rolls around.
The most important this to do while preparing your vehicle for storage is to clean it inside and out. Be sure to wash and wax the vehicle on a dry sunny day prior to putting into vehicle storage for the winter. Cleaning the underbody is usually overlooked by most people but is critical! Dirt and debris left anywhere on the car will retain moisture. Moisture as you probably already know causes ugly and always damaging rust. This is obviously not a good thing so be sure your car is thoroughly cleaned prior to putting it into vehicle storage. Otherwise you could be in for a rude awakening when it comes time to take it out of storage!
Cleaning the car thoroughly inside is just as important as cleaning the outside of it. Be sure there are no crumbs or wrappers left in the car. Leaving such bits of food and such behind can have to pretty ugly consequences. You may notice when you take your car out of vehicle storage that these crumbs and such have grown mold and that is just terrible. The other negative effect this can have is the attraction and introduction of rodents such as mice and rats. You really do not want to take your car out of storage only to find you have a family of rodents living in it! Prevent this from happening by cleaning the inside of your car thoroughly before putting it into vehicle storage.
Ensuring the internal components do no rust while your vehicle is in storage is also critical. Removing the spark plugs and adding a bit of oil to the cylinder will usually prevent the pistons the cylinder walls and the valves from rusting. Regular motor oil will work for this task but I strongly recommend fogging oil from a marine supply store or automotive supply store in your area. Once you’ve added the oil turn the engine by hand a few times to make sure the oil you’ve added coats everything important. You will then want to add so antiseize to your spark plugs before you reinstall them. You should also always ensure you have a full tank of gas before putting your car into vehicle storage for an extended period of time. This reduces the amount of condensation that develops in your fuel system.
Last but not least you should always disconnect the battery completely. You should always disconnect the negative cable first and then the positive cable. Instead of leaving the battery sit all winter attach it to a trickle charger so the battery retains its charge throughout the vehicle storage period.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. If you follow these tips prior to and during vehicle storage your ride should be in tip top shape when it comes time to take it out of storage.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Simply Self Storage What Could be Easier than Simply?
Simply Self Storage is the largest privately owned self storage company in the United States and Puerto Rico. We own and/or operate over 228 facilities with over 16.1 million square feet of storage space.