While having so much fun and a wonderful time in Scandinavia, time flew by and we can’t believe it’s the end of the trip! To wrap up the last two days, we took the train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg which featured a mad dash of all 20 of us rushing for the escalators to go from one platform to another after our train switched tracks. But, we all got on in time and made it to Gothenburg in three and a half hours!
Our class was definitely stoked to visit Volvo, and our visit was a day featuring speakers and tours through showrooms, AND an actual tram tour of the Volvo factory!
We learned about the Volvo brand and their focus on safety through their innovation. Volvo has created many safety items throughout the years including the three point safety belt which is now a standard in all cars and has saved over millions of lives. With each new product, Volvo focuses on what they can do to make their customers safer. As individuals who did not know much about the Volvo brand, we were really interested in learning about their safety features within each of their products and all of the details that go into each car.
We then went on our tram tour of the factory, which we were most excited for. During our tour we got to witness a “wedding” in the factory where the powertrain and engine are connected to a car body and once they are “married”, these parts can officially be called a car.
Next, we headed down the road to the Volvo Group Headquarters for lunch and to learn about their efforts to aid sustainability, specifically the switch to electric vehicles and the ways to incorporate these ideas into cities, roads, ports, and work sites. It was very interesting to see them plan for the near future and determine what they need to start doing now in order to reach their goals. We were also able to give our input and feedback on this as we focused on social perceptions and the logistics associated with electric vehicles.
Overall, it was a fun Volvo filled day! We ended the night at Toso with a group farewell dinner to celebrate our last night of the trip! Celebrating with delicious food and drinks, we said goodbye to all our classmates before heading back to our hotel to prepare for our journey home early the next morning!
This trip was an amazing experience for us and leaving was bittersweet! We will be back for you Scandinavia!
