Volvo Cars first worked with Bcomp for the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race Recycled Plastics Demonstrator Vehicle. Now this is followed by its most recent concept car, the Volvo Concept Recharge.
Revealed in the summer of 2021, the Volvo Cars Concept Recharge demonstrates the steps Volvo Cars aims to take in all areas of pure electric car development to reduce its cars’ and its overall carbon footprint. The company plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030 and aims to be climate neutral by 2040.
Inside the Volvo Cars Concept Recharge, Volvo Cars has used Bcomp’s natural fibre composites for the lower storage areas, back of the headrest and the footrest. For the exterior, it is used for the front and rear bumpers as well as the sill moldings.
Compared to regular plastic parts, the natural fiber-based composites enable parts to be up to 50 per cent lighter, use up to 70 per cent less plastic and generate up to 62 per cent lower CO2 emissions, according to Bcomp.
“We’re very encouraged by the possibilities offered by flax composites, which is why we used them both in the interior and on the exterior of the Concept Recharge,” said Robin Page, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars. “It’s a material that is environmentally responsible with a very low carbon footprint, while also delivering an attractive and natural aesthetic.”
The ambition to consistently reduce emissions and become climate neutral by 2040 is part of Volvo Cars’ climate action plan, one of the most ambitious in the industry. Already by 2025, the company aims to reduce lifecycle CO2emissions per car by 40 per cent compared to 2018.
More information and full press release from Volvo Cars Group:
The Concept Recharge visualises Volvo Cars’ path towards sustainable mobility
Image copyright: © Volvo Car Group, Corporate Communications, SE-405 31 Gothenburg
