Volvo Cars have made a strategic investment in Bcomp, an innovative Swiss firm that develops high-performance lightweight materials based on natural fibers, through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, its venture capital arm.
As per Volvo Cars and Bcomp’s joint statement, Volvo cars Tech fund has invested in Bcomp as the firm manufactures high-performance lightweight materials, built upon flax fibers, a bio-based material that offers significant savings in terms of weight, energy use, and emissions versus regular plastic parts. Bcomp claims that the material also permits more design options for aesthetic surfaces.
As per the official statement from the Auto Major, Volvo Cars has utilized Bcomp’s materials in its most recent concept car, the Volvo Cars Concept Recharge. Bcomp’s calculations and predictions have proven that compared to regular plastic parts, the natural fiber-based composites are up to 50 percent lighter, utilize up to 70 percent less plastic, and generate up to 62 percent lower CO2 emissions.
Alexander Petrofski, Head of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund stated: “This investment is yet another example of our commitment to sustainability and strategic focus on reducing our carbon footprint. We have a long tradition of partnering with leading technology firms such as Bcomp, as we see joint benefits in helping them to scale and develop innovative products in global markets.”
Robin Page, Senior Vice President of Design at Volvo Cars stated: “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 Volvo Cars Concept Recharge. It is a material that is environmentally responsible with a very low carbon footprint that also delivers an attractive and natural aesthetic.”
According to Volvo Cars Concept Recharge displays the initiatives taken by Volvo Cars focussed to take in all areas of pure electric car development to reduce its cars’ and its overall carbon footprint. The firm plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030 and aims to be a climate-neutral business by 2040.
Volvo Cars also explained that in actively contributing towards a greener earth, and ecosystem, it is also exploring the utilization of natural fiber composites in its next generation of pure electric cars, while its strategic affiliate Polestar also focuses on the utilization of the Bcomp’s materials in forthcoming models.
The firm finally concluded by stating that the constant ambition of the firm to curb emissions and become climate-neutral by 2040 is part of the firm’s climate action plan, and the firm claims it to be one of the most ambitious in the industry. Already by 2025, the company aims to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions per car by 40 percent compared to 2018.
