- The Polestar 2 from Volvo’s young performance brand is already known for its vegan interior.
- Using technology from environmentally conscious company BStar, Polestar intends to bring natural fibers to the dash and panels instead of plastics.
- In addition to being more sustainable, the tech could reduce weight by 80 percent.
Polestar is a brand born out of sustainability. After the hybrid Polestar 1, the automaker will only build electric vehicles, including the upcoming Polestar 2 EV. That vehicle already has a vegan interior. But the company is going even deeper into sustainability by replacing plastic panels with natural materials and seats with recycled plastic.
The automaker is teaming up with Bcomp, a Swiss company that has created a composite material using flax to replace plastic panels. The plant is already used for food and clothing and doesn’t take up space or compete directly with food crops in the field, according to Polestar.
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The material is 50 percent lighter and stronger than traditional plastic materials. Polestar says that it can reduce the use of interior plastic by 80 percent this way. Without offering data to support the claim yet, the automaker also says the use in interior panels could improve crash behavior.
Polestar will also use Bcomp’s 3D-knit material made from plastic bottles for seating surfaces. Plus discarded fishing nets will be used for carpets while waste material from cork manufacturing will make their way into the PVC interior components in future Polestar vehicles.
Maximilian Missoni, head of design at Polestar, said in a statement, “We don’t need to sacrifice design and luxury with these materials.” He noted that it presents a positive challenge and that the automaker will derive new aesthetics thanks to this technology.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
