Volvo Makes Entire Lineup Allergy-Free

Do allergies bother you? If they do, you’re not alone. Depending on which medical journal you read the percentage of North Americans suffering from allergies spans between 35- and 50-percent. So why haven’t the automakers done anything about it?

To be fair, interior materials have improved in recent years, although some brands are still using more noxious chemicals in their car interiors than our bodies need to ingest. Volvo Car Corporation is planning to add environmentally friendly interior design to its long list of socially conscious attributes, with the inclusion of a standard seating fabric that poses zero risk to your health.

Oeko-Tex is a textile standard introduced in the early ‘90s by a strategic partnership of fourteen textile research and testing organizations in Europe and Japan, and Volvo is the only car company to ensure its cars, in standard trim, will be Oeko-Tex compliant.

The idea was proposed to Volvo by the automaker’s Senior Vice President, Quality & Customer Satisfaction, Paul Welander, after reportedly noticing a certification tag on the overalls he had purchased for his children.

“What if we had the same certification of upholstery in our cars?” Welander asked. “Just imagine the sense of security our customers would have.”

Welander got the green light from Volvo’s executive team, resulting in the first car to be Oeko-Tex certified, the recently released S80 luxury sedan. Now, all Volvos are Oeko-Tex certified, the only company in the world to do so.

 Volvo says that it tests all textiles in the passenger compartment, from the floor mats to the roof lining. The Swedish company even goes a step further by using certified materials in the trunks and cargo areas of its cars, while safety equipment like seatbelts are also certified.

“There is a list of more than 100 substances or emissions that are not to exceed a given level,” commented Andreas Andersson, responsible for passenger compartment development at Volvo Cars. “For instance, the materials used may not leak heavy metals. There are many people with various allergies today and over-sensitivity has increased drastically in recent years. Having a clean in-car environment is important. Personal health is important both to our customers and to us as a company.”

Another brilliant marketing move by Volvo, and more importantly a big win for those with allergies, or for that matter anyone who just wants the opportunity to drive their family around in a more chemical-free environment.