As the only presentation by a manufacturer on the second day of the North American International Auto Show, Volvo was very clever about their introduction and had the auto media’s undivided attention as they introduced a wrecked Volvo battery-powered C30.
Their point? Volvo’s safety chief explained that an electric car reacts differently in a crash, and that needed studying. After explaining some of the differences the point was clear. Having launched the Volvo S60 last year, a small company like Volvo might not have a new car to show, but they wanted us to know they did have a hard working future. By combining safety — Volvo’s strongest consumer attribute — with electric power — the industry’s new hot button — in destroying one of the most popular upscale compacts, Volvo hit just about every point journalists were making about this year’s auto show in Detroit.
