The Swedish manufacturer takes 16 gold medals at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Paris

The cars received a total of 16 gold medals, which was more than any other participating manufacturer in the passenger car class. The participants in the Michelin Challenge Bibendum competed in seven areas: acceleration, braking, slalom, noise, emissions, fuel efficiency, and carbon dioxide emissions. (See chart below for details.)


In prototype class, the Volvo Multi-Fuel won four gold medals for low emissions and noise, for strong acceleration performance from 0–100 km/h and for braking performance. Other prizes were won in the fuel efficiency, slalom, and carbon dioxide emissions categories.

“The prizes in the Challenge Bibendum 2006 show that we have succeeded in combining an environmentally adapted engine with high performance,” says Mats Morén, project manager for Volvo Car Corporation’s Multi-Fuel project.

Volvo's most fuel-efficient car ever, the S40 1.6D, consumes 4.9 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, is fitted with a particulate filter, and has 15–20% lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to petrol. This gave the Volvo S40 1.6D gold medals in the areas of fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions and an additional two gold medals in the braking and noise test.

One of Volvo’s engines for bioethanol E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol), the V50 FlexiFuel performed well with five gold medals in the fuel efficiency, emissions, noise, slalom and braking classes. No other car competing in the passenger car class managed to win more than 5 gold medals.

With gold medals for braking, emissions, and carbon dioxide emissions, the Volvo S60 Bi-Fuel also placed at the top of the competition.

Hans Folkesson, previously Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Volvo Car Corporation, and who is now responsible for environmental technology for Ford’s European operations, summarises the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006:
   “We wanted to display the technology that we already offer and at the same time present our efforts for the future in the areas of the environment and safety,” says Hans Folkesson. “Volvo Car Corporation is working with several different areas of technology for sustainable mobility, something that is reflected in our broad range of environmentally adapted cars. We hope that our work will inspire politicians, government agencies, manufacturers, and distributors to improve the infrastructure for sustainable fuels so that the technology will benefit the environment and society to an increasing extent,” concludes Hans Folkesson.