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Volvo ditches leather in its EVs for 'Nordico' and wool blends

Volvo is putting its stake in the sand when it comes to leather in its EVs. Essentially, there will be none of it. This move comes out of concern around the environmental impacts of cattle farming, as livestock is responsible for a big slice of greenhouse gas emissions. The move away from leather was touched on when Volvo revealed its new C40 electric crossover, but now Volvo is telling us exactly what it’s replacing the cowhides with. The main replacement is something Volvo calls “Nordico.” ItÂ’s a material designed and created by Volvo, and the company hopes it becomes the “new standard for premium interior design.” WhatÂ’s Nordico made out of, you ask? Volvo says it consists of textiles produced from recycled PET bottles, recycled cork and “bio-attributed material” sourced from forests in Sweden and Finland. Nordico is set to make an appearance in the “next generation of Volvo models,” so expect to see it rolling into dealers on new Volvo EVs soon. In addition to Nordico, Volvo says it will continue to offer its wool blend interior options. Volvo specifically calls out that it uses wool that is certified to be sourced responsibly in the wool supply chain for the sake of animal welfare. Beyond that, Volvo is continuing to research even more materials it could use as seat and interior coverings to replace or simulate leather — weÂ’re just not sure what those materials will be just yet. “Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions,” says Stuart Templar, director of global sustainability at Volvo Cars. “Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue.” Volvo isnÂ’t calling the entire interior “vegan” at this point, though. ItÂ’s planning on reducing the use of products from livestock in its plastics, rubber, lubricants and adhesives, but the cars arenÂ’t totally devoid of reliance on animals yet.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvos will brake for bicyclists with new detection technology

Anyone who pedals a bicycle knows that one of the biggest dangers to riders is a motorized vehicle - Volvo estimates that nearly 50 percent of all cyclists killed in European traffic have collided with a car. In the United States alone, 618 riders lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes in 2010, and the number of injuries surpassed 52,000.
To help drop those numbers, Volvo has just announced Cyclist Detection with full auto brake - a technology that detects and automatically applies a vehicle's brakes when a cyclist swerves in front of a moving car. The basic components of the system include a radar unit integrated into the front grille, a camera fitted in front of the interior rear-view mirror and a central control unit. The radar is tasked with seeing obstacles in front of the vehicle and calculating distance, while the camera is responsible to determine what the object is. The central control unit, with rapid processing capabilities, monitors and evaluates the situation.
The technology, which will be sold bundled with its Pedestrian Detection and called Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, will automatically apply full braking when both the radar and camera confirm a pedestrian or cyclist are in the immediate path of the vehicle. According to the automaker, the technology will be offered on the Volvo V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 models from mid-May in 2013.

Cyan Racing shows slightly tamer resto-modded Volvo P1800 GT

Cyan Racing, which was known as Polestar until Volvo purchased the rights to the name in 2015, has unveiled an evolution of its resto-modded P1800 that puts a bigger emphasis on comfort. Called GT, the coupe remains as attractive as its more track-focused sibling. If you need a refresher course, Cyan Racing branched out into street-legal cars when it unveiled a P1800 with classic good looks and modern performance in 2020. That was arguably the worst year to launch anything, let alone an expensive reboot of a relatively obscure classic, but Cyan was on to something: it didn't take long for the brand to receive its first orders.  Viewed from the outside, the GT looks a lot like Cyan's original P1800. It features two-piece bumpers, a front splitter, wheel arch flares and a racing-style fuel filler cap that pokes through the trunk lid. It's inside that you'll find some of the bigger changes: Cyan fitted more comfort-oriented front seats and installed a different roll cage, for example. The brand also notes that it installed more sound-deadening material. Power still comes from a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, though it has been tuned with a focus on drivability rather than on flat-out performance. How much power varies from car to car. The output of Cyan's previous P1800-based builds ranges from 350 to 420 horsepower. The turbo-four spins the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission, and the coupe weighs less than 2,200 pounds thanks in part to a carbon fiber body. The adjustable suspension system is specific to the GT and softer than the track-bound model's, too. Cyan notes that production of the P1800 GT will be limited, though it doesn't have a specific number of units in mind. Every build starts with a donor P1800, and production takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden. The process requires between 12 and 15 months of work per car. As for pricing, it depends on how the car is configured. Cyan told Autoblog that the average price of the cars built so far hovers around $600,000. That's a lot, but customers keep coming: Cyan notes the second car from the production run has already been shipped to the United States. Featured Gallery Cyan Racing's Volvo P1800 GT, official images View 9 Photos Aftermarket Design/Style Volvo Coupe Luxury Performance Classics