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Sustainability: The Bigger Picture

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The new Volvo Cars Halifax location boasts boasts an impressive 21,000 square feet of floor space, and a four-car showroom. Credit: Volvo Cars Halifax

This newly-built dealership embraces Volvo’s commitment to the environment.

Late last year, the Steele Auto Group celebrated the official grand opening of their Volvo Cars Halifax store. “The Steele Auto Group acquired the Volvo dealership in 1999, so we not only celebrated the opening of the dealership in 2024, but also our 25th year of partnership with Volvo Car Canada,” says Benjie Young, General Manager of Volvo Cars Halifax.

The original dealership, which was located on Kempt Road in Halifax, was much smaller. The new location, on Susie Lake Cresent, boasts an impressive 21,000 square feet of floor space, a nine-bay first-class service shop, a double-bay service drive-thru, and a four-car showroom.

Committed to sustainability

Even more significant is the fact that the new store was built to Volvo Retail Sustainable Experience (VRSE) standards, which means that the new dealership embraces the brand’s larger commitment to sustainability.

According to Volvo Car Canada, “VRSE locations reflect the automotive brand’s commitment to improving the sustainability of its products and retail locations. This holistic approach takes into consideration production and optimization of resources (e.g., energy, water, and electricity), as well as the conditions under which products and materials are created, and their quality and lifecycle. The overall goal of the VRSE approach is to make it as easy as possible to choose to invest in and create sites that are able to handle changing weather, while lowering energy costs.”

Benjie Young, General Manager of Volvo Cars Halifax notes that the VRSE standards are working well for the new store. “Volvo Cars Halifax uses less energy than a comparable car dealership, because we use LED lighting inside and out, motion-controlled lighting, electric appliances, and the innovative Solera showroom glass,” he explains. “Combined with our 60,000 kWh/yr estimated electricity generation, we will have a very low CO2 footprint, and greatly reduced operating costs. It also creates a very comfortable space to work, with an even and consistent temperature throughout the building.”

Light diffusing panels remove shadows, allowing this Volvo store to better showcase their vehicles. Credit: Volvo Cars Halifax

Long list of upgrades

Young says that the new building benefits from a host of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly features, including electric boilers, which are more efficient than gas, “and we benefit from Nova Scotia’s transition to green energy,” he adds.

The dealership has solar panels that are estimated to provide 75% of the building’s electricity needs annually, while reducing CO2 emissions by almost 24 tons/year.

As for the Solera showroom glass, “it is many times more efficient than standard glass, and it reduces the need for lighting in the interior spaces,” Young explains. “It is the same reason all private offices are clear glass—to allow natural light in. That glass come from a Nova Scotia company, Advanced Glazing.”

The glass offers exceptional insulation value while creating naturally lit interior spaces, he adds. “The system allows better temperature control of the showroom volume, making the space more comfortable for customers and staff—we don’t experience the uncomfortable hot spots other dealerships have when the sun shines into the showroom in the summer. The light diffusing panels also remove shadows, allowing us to better showcase our vehicles.”

Outside the store, a “green wall” on the side of the building, along with trees and shrubs around the parking lot, absorb CO2, Young says. “And we do not use single use items (glasses, spoons, dishes). We wash dishes nightly in a high-efficiency dishwasher.”

All these features add up to make a notable impact on the environment, and Young says that both customers and employees notice a difference when they step into the building. “Our customers and staff constantly give positive feedback on how bright and natural our showroom space is,” he says. “The ‘less is more’ concept creates a simple, uniform façade, and mirrors Volvo’s Scandinavian heritage.”

The bigger picture

Young says that although embracing Volvo’s VRSE standards saves the store on heating and cooling costs, and makes the building much more enjoyable, there’s a bigger picture to consider.

“Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at Volvo Cars Halifax and Volvo Car Canada. This commitment to sustainability and the environment is highlighted in Volvo’s drive to build electrified cars, while manufacturing them in a way that lowers CO2 emissions. As an example, all new vehicles come with animal free interiors.

“At Volvo Cars Halifax and Steele Auto Group, our approach to business responsibility and sustainability is not just a strategy—it is a commitment to making a positive difference today, and for future generations,” Young says. “We are incredibly proud of the new dealership, and consider it an investment in sustainability and the future.”

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