Volvo's Polestar Brand Bringing Recycled Plastic Bottles and Old Fishing Nets Into Its Interiors
Sustainable materials can help the environment and reduce weight—what's not to like?
Some automakers, including Audi andTesla, are making at least partially vegan car interiors. The Volvo-owned Polestar brand joined the game with itsPolestar 2, which comes standard with a leather-free and vegan cabin. Now, Polestar is looking to make its interiors even more sustainable by getting creative and exploring materials ranging from flax to recycled plastic bottles to fishing nets.
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The flax is used in a natural fiber composite solution from Bcomp, which Polestar says differs from some bio-materials because it doesn't directly compete with food crops. (Indeed, with global food supplies racing toward being outstripped by populations, it's not a bad idea to try sourcing car interiors and edible stuff separately.) Polestar says this composite not only can help reduce plastic content in its interior panels by a whopping 80 percent, but that it is said to be stronger and lighter than traditional interior plastics. With less of the stronger material needed to match current plastics' performance, Polestar can shave mass by as much as 50 percent. And, in the unfortunate event your Polestar crashes, the automaker claims that the Bcomp panels boast better crash behavior—i.e., they're more forgiving when meeting human heads or limbs—too.
Polestar is also exploring a unique material for its seats. The base material is comprised of 100 percent recycled yarn derived from discarded plastic bottles, and since the material is made exactly to size, waste is eliminated from the production process (consider traditional seat coverings, which need to be trimmed, etc. ).
Soon, Polestar might furnish its interiors with recycled cork and used fishing nets. Polestar says that whole bottle stoppers and waste material from the cork manufacturing process can be incorporated into its cabins and—we suppose, given the brand's Swedish roots—stylishly. The Nylon 6 from old fishing nets would be used in woven carpets. If some of this is sounding familiar, recall that the Audi E-Tron GT concept has seat fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and floor coverings made of old nylon fishing nets. Ford has long played with soy-based seat foams, as well. With consumers seeking out sustainability in their products, be they shoes, air travel, or, yes, even car interiors, prepare to see a lot more inventiveness in your car interior's supply chain in the near future.
Check out our gallery below for a closer look at the Polestar 2.
When I tell people I write about cars, the most common reply I receive is “Really?” I guess I never strike people as a car type as I drive down the freeway in the right lane going 60 mph in my old SUV. My gripes about driving in city traffic and fast drivers don’t help my case, either. For a time, the only cars I liked were old cars. Not old as in "classic" or "vintage," but as in well-worn. My first appreciation of cars came when I drove a very old Ford pickup. It wasn't perfect: I used a booster seat to reach the gas pedal, and the turn signal once fell off in my hand as I was learning to drive. But the thing I valued most was the memories. It took several years for me to truly become a "car person." Being a long-time writer and an avid reader has helped me develop a healthy curiosity and a desire to know how things work. This has made cars one of the most fascinating points of study for me because they are such intricate machines. I am interested in how cars can reach 200 mph, how they can run on hydrogen, and how they can drive and park on their own. I also enjoy learning how cars can solve problems whether it be in the form of reducing pollution, minimizing traffic, or helping people stay connected on the road. Yes, maybe I’m not a gearhead. Perhaps I’m a car nerd. Either way, I very much enjoy writing about cars and helping people stay in tune with the automotive industry. I wouldn't want to be writing about anything else. And don’t get me wrong: I know how to drool over a hot car. I am fascinated by the Tesla Model S, awed by the Lamborghini Veneno, and am hopelessly obsessed with the Audi R8.
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