Products + Processes

Excerpt

Volvo manufactures most of the body parts of the Polestar 1 electric car model using carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), including engine hood, trunk lid, side panels, doors and the entire roof structure. Compared to the use of conventional materials, 230 kg can be saved in this way. The so-called spirit level, which improves the torsional stiffness between the underbody and the rear, is also made of CFRP. Volvo expects this to provide very good driving dynamics. The roof construction should not only become thinner and more stable than a steel pendant through the use of CFRP, but also enable a significantly lower roof line. The entire length and width of the roof is also covered by a glass surface that is only interrupted by a few body elements. The production center for the model, which is currently under construction, will be set up specifically to meet the needs of lightweight materials. The company plans to start series production in mid-2019. …