2011 Volvo Xc90 I6 on 2040-cars

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China's Geely to add $4.6 billion battery plant in EV push

BEIJING — Geely said on Monday it would build an electric vehicle battery factory with a planned annual manufacturing capacity of 42 gigawatt hours (GWh) in China's eastern city of Ganzhou, as it expands its EV lineup in the world's biggest car market. For comparison, the Tesla-Panasonic Gigafactory in Nevada announced an expansion last fall to just under 40 gigawatt hours. The total investment in the project by Geely's technology arm will be 30 billion yuan ($4.6 billion), according to a separate statement from the local government. Geely's technology group has previously invested in Ganzhou-based EV battery maker Farasis. The planned factory comes after Geely announced a flurry of tie-ups in January aimed at turning the automaker into a leading EV contract manufacturer and engineering service provider, as it fights the incursion of EV leader Tesla. Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and a 9.7% stake in Daimler AG, is competing with Great Wall and Nio, among others. China's government has heavily promoted new energy vehicles (NEVs) — such as battery-powered, plug-in petrol-electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell cars — in response to chronic air pollution, spurring interest from technology companies and investors alike. China forecasts NEVs will make up 20% of its annual auto sales by 2025 from around 5% in 2020.   Green Plants/Manufacturing Volvo Electric Geely

Volvo XC90 First Edition sells out in 47 hours

Two days ago, Volvo opened the order books on its completely new 2015 XC90 crossover, and just like that, all of the 1,927 First Edition models were reserved in a scant 47 hours. According to Volvo, most of the vehicles were reserved within one hour of the online ordering site launching, and at its peak, seven cars were being sold each minute.
First Edition models wear a unique Onyx Black exterior, and ride on eight-spoke, 21-inch wheels. Inside, amber nappa leather covers the seats, the dashboard is lined in charcoal leather, and there are walnut inlays throughout the cabin.
Under the hood, the XC90 First Edition can be had with either a four-cylinder Drive-E gasoline or diesel engine (if you live in markets outside the US, of course). The twin-charged T6 petrol model comes with 320 horsepower, and sends its power to the ground via all-wheel drive.

Volvo working to allow groceries delivered to your car, even when you aren't there

Volvo cites research showing that 60 percent of online shoppers had problems with their deliveries in 2013, and that missed first deliveries cost the industry roughly one billion euros ($1.37B US) in re-delivery costs, as impetus for its "Roam Delivery Service" that delivers packages to your car. The service uses Volvo On Call and Sensus Connect car-connectivity and telematics apps already installed in vehicles, and a digital key with a timed window of operation.
The car owner is notified if delivery to or pickup from the car would be the best option, which they then have the option to approve or decline. If approved, the position of the vehicle is sent to the delivery driver, as well as a digital key that can open the car. Once the delivery has been made, the owner is notified and the digital key is erased, leaving only a time stamp to record when the car was opened and then locked.
The technology will be shown to the public at the Mobile World Congress later this month. There's a video and a press release below with more on the details.