Volvo crashes cars in the name of research at safety center in Sweden

Industry

Published: 14 Dec. 2022, 13:03 Updated: 14 Dec. 2022, 14:11

Volvo crashes cars in the name of research at safety center in Sweden

A human dummy is waiting for a crash test at Volvo Cars Safety Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Dec. 6. [SARAH CHEA]

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — An XC40 electric SUV was parked at the Volvo Safety Centre on Dec. 6, with a human dummy off to the side sitting in a car seat with a seat belt on.

Dozens of cameras and lighting equipment were also placed near the vehicle, which is scheduled to crash the next day.

“This vehicle is what we are planning to have a crash test on tomorrow,” said Per Lenhoff, head of the safety center, who has been working there for 11 years.

“The vehicle will run the 155 kilometer [96 mile] track at the speed of 120 kilometers per hour, and will crash to an 850-ton barrier,” he said. “Dozens of ultra-high definition cameras film the crash test from every angle imaginable at the speed of 1,000 frames per second."

First built in 2000, Volvo Safety Centre is where the Swedish automaker runs various simulations of real-life car accidents with the goal of making a future in which “no one is killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.”

It is the first time for an automaker to operate a safety-dedicated center. On average, it crashes at least one brand-new Volvo a day.

No Volvo models are released to the market without first going through crash tests. Volvo is a subsidiary of Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang Geely Holding.

An XC40 SUV is waiting for a crash test at Volvo Cars Safety Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Dec. 6. [SARAH CHEA]

“We do the computer simulations like a thousand times before actually taking on the crash test,” Lenhoff said. “Every car goes through around 100 to 150 tests on 70 different types of crashes.”

Each test costs some 35,000 euros ($37,220), according to Lenhoff, which means the automaker spends some $5.6 million for each car on safety tests alone.

The center has two test tracks, each 108 meters (354 feet) and 154 meters long, with the shorter one being portable and able to be positioned at an angle up to 90 degrees, allowing for a crash test at different angles and speeds, or to simulate a crash between two moving cars.

There is a door at the end of the track which can be opened to the outside, in case the company wants to test the vehicle in more extreme situations outdoors.

Human dummies are always in the car when crash tests are conducted. Four human dummies were displayed at the center during the tour: a man, a woman and a three- and six-year-old.

A 360-kilogram (794-pound) moose-like dummy was also used to mimic the car hitting an animal on the road.

An XC40 SUV is waiting for a crash test at Volvo Cars Safety Centre. [SARAH CHEA]

“Being committed to safety is not about passing a test or getting a safety rating,” said Thomas Broberg, one of Volvo Cars’ leading safety engineers and a two-decade veteran of the company.

“Our commitment to safety is about finding out how and why accidents and injuries occur and then developing the technology to help prevent them. We hope our pioneering work will inspire others to follow our ambition to reduce road traffic casualties worldwide.”

Some other brands also request Volvo to run some crash tests for their cars, the company said, though they can’t comment on the specific names.

As the company moves toward an all-electric future, the Safety Centre has in recent years been equipped and prepared specifically to safely execute electric car crash tests as well, Lenhoff said.

All the crashed vehicles and remains are 100 percent recyclable to be reused at the company’s plants.

A C40 Recharge at Volvo Cars Safety Centre [SARAH CHEA]

Since 1970, Volvo Cars has kept an Accident Research Team to study the causes and damages of accidents. It has studied more than 43,000 accidents and 72,000 injured people.

Based on the research, it has developed various safety technologies including the Whiplash Protection System, a system consisting of energy-absorbing backrests and specifically designed head restraints in the front seats to protect against whiplash injuries, and the Side Impact Protection System, a passive safety system to protect against injury in a side collision.

“No matter what the scenario, we can recreate it here at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre and analyze it in detail,” said Broberg. “For me, it is very inspiring to realize that for every hour of testing and analysis we put in, we get closer and closer to our ambition that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.”

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]