Volvo Car UK has unveiled a brand-new flagship multi-million-pound showroom in Elstree.
Both Volvo Car UK and Endeavour Automotive, who operate the site, have invested a combined £8 million in Volvo Cars North West London to provide new and used car sales, servicing, MoT inspections and repairs.
Volvo Cars is committed to becoming a climate-neutral company by 2040 and a fully electric car maker by 2030. As part of this, the new showroom in Elstree is the most sustainable Volvo site in the UK and has been designed to exceed new Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience (VRSE) standards.
The site features a 178kW solar panel system installed on the building’s roof, which is forecast to reduce CO2 by 25 metric tons a year and produce enough renewable energy to fully charge almost 2,100 electric vehicles. Any energy not consumed on the site will be exported to the grid to help cover local needs.
The site also has a 5,000-litre rainwater harvesting system, which is designed to capture enough water to clean nearly 600 cars. In addition, the building benefits from several high-efficiency heat-recovery-based heat pumps, while efficient LED lighting is used throughout the site.
To futureproof the facility and accommodate Volvo’s growing electric car range, the site offers 33 electric car charging outlets, eight of which offer ultra-fast DC charging.
To enhance the overall consumer experience, the showroom features bespoke digital displays, using energy-efficient direct-view LED technology, laser projection and touchscreens beside each display car. The combination of technologies brings the showroom to life through the addition of visual motion to the space and interactivity to the consumer journey.
In addition, the showroom features Volvo’s signature lounge area, complete with luxurious Scandinavian furniture. Customers can relax and enjoy Swedish cakes while their car is looked after, or they can work while they wait thanks to the free Wi-Fi. The attention to detail includes an interior viewing window that allows customers to see all the activity in the site’s workshops from – what feels like – the comfort of their own living room.
Volvo Cars North West London also offers a streamlined, paperless, service to car owners that halves waiting times. Called Volvo Personal Service, this has the same technician liaising with the customer from the point of booking, right through to explaining the services – which they themselves have carried out.
Nicole Melillo Shaw, managing director at Volvo Car UK, said: “The showroom has been designed with Volvo’s key concerns in mind – sustainability and the consumer – with a focus on electric vehicles and an eco-friendly design, while the convenient location inside the M25 makes it perfectly placed to serve consumers across a wide area. We’re confident that this new venture with Endeavour Automotive is the next step in delivering an outstanding consumer experience.”
Andrew Shackleton, chief executive at Endeavour Automotive, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Volvo Car UK to officially announce our new site open. This is a wonderful investment in the local area, which not only features the latest and greatest that Volvo Cars has to offer but will also serve as the new head office for Endeavour Automotive, marking the start of an exciting future for the company.
