2007 Volvo Xc90 3.2 on 2040-cars

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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.

Trade war tactics: How Volvo will land a cheap Chinese EV on U.S. shores

A made-in-China electric vehicle will hit U.S. dealers this summer offering power and efficiency similar to the Tesla Model Y, the world's best-selling EV, but for about $8,000 less. The EX30 from Volvo Cars, the Swedish luxury brand owned by China's Geely, foreshadows the fierce competitive threat U.S. automakers could face from Chinese EV manufacturers that have surged far ahead of global rivals, especially on affordability. The $35,000 window sticker of Volvo's compact SUV hits a sweet spot in the U.S. market, where most buyers cannot afford most EVs. The competitive price reflects an unusual combination of Geely's China-specific cost advantages and Volvo's ability to skirt U.S. tariffs on Chinese cars because it also has U.S. manufacturing operations, according to interviews with four sources familiar with Volvo and Geely strategy and several U.S. trade policy experts. Chinese EV makers can undercut global competitors largely because of the nation's domination of battery minerals mining and refining, as well as its long-standing commitment to EV development, including heavy government subsidies. In addition, Geely has slashed manufacturing costs by merging supply chains and sharing platforms and parts with Volvo and other Geely brands, according to two senior Geely managers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. Despite its aggressive price, Volvo is targeting hefty profit margins on the EX30 of between 15% and 20% globally, said a third Geely source. China's EV dominance will be on display this week at the nation's premier auto show in Beijing. In the China market, the world's largest, dozens of domestic EV brands are fighting it out in a price war while foreign automakers have steadily lost market share. The intense competition has driven China's biggest EV makers, led by BYD, to accelerate exporting of EVs that can capture higher prices and profits in less competitive overseas markets. The EX30 will be among only a handful of China-made cars sold in the United States, none of them from Chinese brands. Vehicles from China currently face a 27.5% tariff and increasingly strident calls for higher trade barriers from U.S. automakers and their political allies. But Volvo is eligible for tariff refunds under a law that awards them to firms with U.S. manufacturing operations — such as VolvoÂ’s South Carolina plant — that also export similar products, according to U.S.

2024 CES Mega Photo Gallery: Honda concepts, a VinFast truck and flying cars galore

The 2024 rendition of CES is coming to a close, and per usual, it was full of all the funky, futuristic tech the show is long known for. It’s also full of cars and legitimately forward-thinking tech related to cars, and we were on the ground to see it all and bring photos to you in this Mega Gallery.  A boatload of manufacturers attended and made big reveals, from the Star Wars-like Honda concept cars to a pickup truck from VinFast, the sort of debuts we got to see ran the gamut. Of course, there were plenty of reveals and vehicles on the floor that were even more outlandish than concepts from traditional OEMs like Honda and Mercedes. Check out this flying Xpeng car as an example. Or perhaps the flying Mansory car. Apparently, flying cars were a theme. Anyway, make sure you scroll down to check out the various reveals and photos of the cars and technologies revealed at the 2024 CES in our barrage of galleries. Honda 0 Series Honda 0 Series saloon 1 View 26 Photos VinFast Wild pickup VinFast Wild 10 View 10 Photos VinFast VF3 VinFast VF3 1 View 4 Photos VW GTI Prototype with AI-enhanced infotainment CES 2024: New Volkswagen GTI with AI-Enhanced Infotainment View 17 Photos Kia PBV Concept Kia PBV Concept platform View 28 Photos Sony Honda Mobility Afeela concept Afeela by Sony Honda Mobility View 5 Photos Hyundai Mobion Concept Hyundai Mobion Concept CES 2024 View 6 Photos Mullen Five RS Mullen 2 View 14 Photos Mansory Empower concept Mansory Empower concept View 14 Photos Hyundai Supernal S-A2 eVTOL Hyundai Supernal S-A2 View 13 Photos XPeng Aeroht eVTOL Flying Car XPeng Aeroht eVTOL?Flying Car View 6 Photos Verge TS Ultra verge-ts-ultra-ces-2024-electric-motorcycle-01 View 17 Photos Horwin Senmenti Maxi Scooter Range Horwin Senmenti 0 View 12 Photos BMW Teleoperated Valet BMW iX controlled with Remote Valet View 15 Photos Mercedes-Benz MB.OS infotainment Mercedes-Benz MB.OS infotainment system View 9 Photos Lamborghini Telemetry X Lamborghini Telemetry X View 5 Photos Related video: Green Motorsports CES BMW Ford Honda Hyundai Kia Lamborghini Mercedes-Benz Volkswagen Volvo Green Automakers Green Culture Technology Infotainment Smartphone Autonomous Vehicles Commercial Vehicles Concept Cars Polestar Infrastructure