Volvo begins Chinese takeaway of S90 saloon

Published on 31 May, 2017

Overview

A little bit of motoring history this week as Volvo exports China-made cars to Europe - by rail.

The S90 saloons arrive in Europe thanks to the 'One Belt, One Road' Chinese trade initiative.

The S90s are built at the company's Daqing plant and are destined for a distribution centre in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

Some of the S90s on subsequent shipments will be ferried to Ireland this summer.

The recently opened China-Europe railway link cuts transport time by two-thirds compared with the sea route. The 'One Belt, One Road' plan resurrects the age-old Silk Road trade trail.

The link is a prime example of how China has become a global manufacturing and export hub for cars.

Volvo say they will soon be building all S90 vehicles in Daqing for global exports. An added benefit is the reduction in emissions (down 33pc) compared with shipping.

Volvo says each of the trains carry around 225 cars in specially-designed containers. There are three cars to a container loaded at different angles to make best use of space. The train travels once a week for now but they expect frequency to increase.