Greenbang remembers as a child his father drove a poo-brown Volvo estate that was very old.

So old in fact that the boot door used to fall off and remain in the back of the car until his father had the money to get it fixed. This was very embarrassing when being dropped off for rugby practice, where all his team mates laughed at him.

And another thing about Volvos – they always have their side lights on. Quite often, as most Volvo owners will know, a twat will approach you to tell you your side lights are on, failing to understand that those clever Swedes build ‘em that way.

Actually, seeing as the company has just received a grant of $18m from the Swedish Energy Agency to develop hybrid technologies and alternative fuels, perhaps that’s the first thing they need to sort out. Why have the lights on when it’s not dark, Volvo?

This comes from Fleetowner:

“The climate issue and increasing fuel prices make energy use and energy efficiency some of the most important societal issues of our time,” said Leif Johansson, CEO of the Volvo Group. “The transportation industry has a special responsibility and this research and development co-operation with the U.S. government is crucial in our efforts to develop the drivetrains and technology required by both our customers and society as a whole.”