V90 Cross Country in the Fight Against Plastic in the World's Oceans

Volvo Cars unveils today a special edition of its award-winning all-road estate V90 Cross Country to celebrate the start of the 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race.

Buyers of the car also contribute directly to raising awareness about the health of our oceans. To support the Volvo Ocean Race science programme on ocean plastics, the company will donate 100 euros for each of the first 3,000 V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race cars it plans to build. The total donation of 300,000 euros underscores Volvo Cars’ longstanding commitment to protecting the environment.

The Volvo Ocean Race science programme equips the boats participating in this year’s race with a set of sensors that collect data from some of the most remote parts of the world’s oceans. This includes temperatures, barometric pressure, currents, and wind speed, which will contribute to more accurate weather forecasts and the climate models used by scientists worldwide.

The boats will also measure salinity, dissolved CO2, and algae in the surrounding seawater. Combined with other data on microplastics, these measurements will help create a more complete picture of the extent of plastic pollution and how it affects marine life. Among the scientific partners participating in the programme is NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

— We are proud to support the Volvo Ocean Race science programme, which will help increase our understanding of the health of the oceans — our most important natural resource, says Stuart Templar, Director of Sustainability at Volvo Cars. — As a company, we work to minimize our impact on the world around us, and the innovative approach of this project to tackling a major environmental problem was therefore a perfect fit for us — not least because we are moving towards an electrified future.

The car itself will help tackle the problem of marine pollution, as the floor mats are made from Econyl, a textile material produced from 100 percent recycled nylon, including recycled fishing nets recovered from the ocean floor.

The V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race was developed by Volvo’s designers and a team of engineers at the company’s Special Vehicles department, a purpose-built facility at the Volvo Cars base in Torslanda. The engineers at Special Vehicles specialize in developing bespoke models and are also responsible for Volvo Cars’ ultra-luxury Excellence models, as well as the police version of the V90 and V90 Cross Country.

The V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race is based on the existing model and comes equipped with all the standard features customers have come to expect from a Cross Country model, such as all-wheel drive, increased ground clearance and seating height, and a chassis optimized for comfort and control in all weather and road conditions.

A distinctive, expressive design and color palette both inside and out distinguishes the V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race from its siblings in the 90 series. Details in matte grey and light orange, first shown on the acclaimed 2014 Volvo Concept XC Coupé concept car, are combined with the Crystal White exterior color and special wheels and stitching.

— The V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race is a balanced and capable all-road car that moves just as confidently on regular roads as off the beaten path, says Dan Olsson, Vice President Special Vehicles and Accessories at Volvo Cars.

— On top of that, it’s equipped with a range of specially developed standard features, such as the integrated, detachable flashlight, extra power outlets, and smart dirt- and water-repellent materials.

The initial production volume of 3,000 cars will be sold in 30 markets worldwide, including most countries in the EMEA region, as well as the USA, Japan, and China.