Photo: Volvo
It was late last year that Volvo announced a shift for the S90. Specifically, the mid-size sedan will be manufactured in China from 2017 for model year 2018. And that moment is upon us, as Volvo’s distribution center in Zeebrugge, Belgium will take delivery of the first China-made S90s on May 31st.
Daqing Volvo Car Manufacturing Co., LTD started making high-end S90 versions late in 2016, but soon enough, the factory will handle production of all trim levels for global export. That’s right, ladies and gents. All 2018 models, be it for the U.S. or Europe, will be born in the People’s Republic.
“How does the automaker ship all those cars to Belgium, though?” That’s a fair question in its own right, and the answer is made up of four words: One Belt, One Road. Inaugurated only recently, the railway link between China and Europe is a multi-billion euro trade route that takes antiquity’s Silk Road to a wholly different level. How’s this for a fun fact: Each train, Volvo highlights, is designed to carry around 225 vehicles or thereabout.
“That’s nice and all, but why railway?” For starters, CO2 emissions per ton/kilometer are reduced by almost a third compared to sea transport. Beyond the environmental impact, rail is cheaper and customer waiting times are shorter. It all makes for a win-win-win situation.
At the present moment, trains will depart from Daqing to Belgium once a week. The frequency is planned to increase in the near future, as Volvo expects growing volumes for most of its biggest markets. China is one of those markets, as well as the place where the first-ever Volvo EV will be manufactured from 2019 onwards.
Introduced in January 2016 at the Detroit Auto Show, the S90 is built on the SPA modular platform, and it’s the heir-apparent to the S80. Available with a choice of 2.0-liter gasoline and diesel engines in force-fed or twin-charged flavors, the S90 can also be had as a plug-in hybrid. The T8 Twin Engine is the range-topping model, packing a system total of 407 PS, 640 Nm (472 lb-ft) of torque, and an NEDC electric range of 45 kilometers or 28 miles.
“How does the automaker ship all those cars to Belgium, though?” That’s a fair question in its own right, and the answer is made up of four words: One Belt, One Road. Inaugurated only recently, the railway link between China and Europe is a multi-billion euro trade route that takes antiquity’s Silk Road to a wholly different level. How’s this for a fun fact: Each train, Volvo highlights, is designed to carry around 225 vehicles or thereabout.
“That’s nice and all, but why railway?” For starters, CO2 emissions per ton/kilometer are reduced by almost a third compared to sea transport. Beyond the environmental impact, rail is cheaper and customer waiting times are shorter. It all makes for a win-win-win situation.
At the present moment, trains will depart from Daqing to Belgium once a week. The frequency is planned to increase in the near future, as Volvo expects growing volumes for most of its biggest markets. China is one of those markets, as well as the place where the first-ever Volvo EV will be manufactured from 2019 onwards.
Introduced in January 2016 at the Detroit Auto Show, the S90 is built on the SPA modular platform, and it’s the heir-apparent to the S80. Available with a choice of 2.0-liter gasoline and diesel engines in force-fed or twin-charged flavors, the S90 can also be had as a plug-in hybrid. The T8 Twin Engine is the range-topping model, packing a system total of 407 PS, 640 Nm (472 lb-ft) of torque, and an NEDC electric range of 45 kilometers or 28 miles.
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