Volvo invests in company that makes lightweight sustainable materials from flax fibre
Bcomp uses sustainable materials that reduce weight, energy use and emissions.
Volvo has made a ‘strategic investment’ in Bcomp, a company that makes lightweight materials from sustainable sources.
The investment has been made through the Swedish firm’s venture capital arm called Volvo Cars Tech Fund. The move has come from Volvo’s plan to use more natural fibre composites in its next generation of electric vehicles.
Bcomp says it uses flax fibres, which are a bio-based material that offer ‘significant savings in terms of weight, energy use and emissions versus regular plastic parts’.
The two companies worked together on the recent Recharge concept car, with calculations showing that the materials were 50 per cent lighter, used 70 per cent less plastic and generated 62 per cent lower CO2 emissions than regular plastic parts.
Volvo aims to only sell electric vehicles by 2030, and wants to be climate-neutral as a company by 2040. Using Bcomp materials in vehicles is one of the steps it is taking to achieve this.
Alexander Petrofski, head of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, said: “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 because we see joint benefits in helping them to scale and develop innovative products in global markets.”
Volvo and Bcomp have not disclosed financial details related to the investment, but have confirmed that Volvo’s sister firm Polestar will also look into using the sustainable materials in its electric cars, too.
