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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.

Volvo V60 Polestar speeds into view

Send us photos of a new wagon out testing, and you've got our attention. Send us photos of a fast wagon lapping the Nürburgring and, well, we're just as giddy as can be. Our spy shooters just blessed our inbox with some fresh shots of Volvo's new V60 wagon out testing in Polestar guise, sporting the same Rebel Blue paint job as the thunder-from-Down-Under limited-edition S60 Polestar, as well as an aggressive front fascia, huge wheels, Brembo brakes, a rear diffuser panel and a roof spoiler. Hello there, hot stuff.
Like its sedan counterpart, the V60 Polestar is expected to use a boosted version of Volvo's 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine, pumping out something like 350 horsepower. To keep everything in check, that force will almost certainly be sent to the ground via all-wheel drive.
It's unclear if Volvo will sell the V60 Polestar as a limited-edition affair for our friends in Australia, or if this longroof hot-hauler will be offered in other markets this time. After all, Volvo is bringing the V60 over to American soil early next year, so consider our fingers - and toes - crossed.

Volvo Recharge models get more power and electric range

Volvo Belgium announced a few big improvements for plug-in hybrid models on the automaker's Scalable Product Architecture, meaning the 60 and 90 series Recharge models — S60, V60, XC60, S90, V90 and XC90. First, the battery's been given another layer of cells, upping capacity from 11.6 kWh to 18.8 kWh. At the moment, Volvo's UK site advertises two figures for all-electric range on the WLTP cycle for the XC60 and XC90, and says the S90 can already do 90 kilometers on a charge. The spec pages, however, say the XC60 can do 32 kilometers maximum, the XC90 able to go 30 kilometers. With the new battery, Volvo says all-electric range has improved to up to 90 kilometers (56 miles) on the WLTP cycle, but that will surely depend on model. Our U.S.-market XC90 PHEV is EPA-rated at 18 miles of battery-electric driving. A 62% increase would put that at about 30 miles. Just as good as the battery boost, the 87-horsepower e-motor that powers the rear axle on the Recharge trims is goosed to 145 hp. The T6 Recharge powertrain will make 350 combined horsepower, ten horses more than currently, and the T8 Recharge powertrain will make a combined 455 hp, a considerable 65 horses more than now. That makes the coming T8 the most powerful Volvo ever put into series production. The T8's 2.0-liter twin-charged engine has also been engineered for more efficiency as well as "higher engine power at low revs and at start-up," but Volvo hasn't offered specifics on that yet.  Finally, drivers will be able to control all that go with just the accelerator pedal, Volvo adding single pedal drive on the XC60 Recharge, S90 Recharge, and V90 Recharge. There's no word on when we might see them; introduction sometime during the 2022 model year seems sensible. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.