Imagine it – every new Volvo car in 2030 being fully electric. We have so many opportunities to approach our designs in new ways as we explore the potential of emerging priorities like aerodynamics and material choices.
We have seen technology from different parts and different areas interact with each other and how they can play an important part in our future the core computer the connected experience the batteries that provides the range and the fast charging but now how does that come together to to a car we already now talk about the next generation of cars we have said already
That post r3 will come out next year there will be a new volvo flagship model coming out and be unveiled next year but how about today let’s see if we can give you a sneak peek into how design of future cars can put all of this technology together in a nice package for you and robin page please take it away so thank you henrik so now is the moment to introduce a
Concept recharge it is a car which represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of volvo cars as well as a new type of vehicle it displays modern proportions that go hand in hand with increased versatility and shows what all the amazing future technologies that you’ve seen today can enable in terms of design so to explain this let’s open the box and assemble
Our concept car and then i can run through how we have designed our next generation of cars but let’s first start by looking at a traditional suv with an internal combustion engine and then we can make the comparison between the two the proportions head height and overhangs are set by the position of the engine and the wheels the floor and seats are positioned on
Top of the transmission components then the silhouette of the car is formed around the engine and the high eye point of the people and the thickness of the roof so this is the layout of an suv that you’re familiar with today now let us remove the engine and introduce our full battery pack and to give our customers the range they want we fit a large battery pack
And as a result we extend the wheelbase and increase the wheel size and this also creates the all-important flat floor which results in even more space in our scandinavian living room now with the wheels moving out we also shorten the overhangs so now we can reposition the seats and then show you a new innovation now volvo introduced the booster cushion back in
1978 and to create enhanced safety for small children now we take this even further by having a full adjustable cushion in the rear to not only create the perfect seat but also let everyone in the car benefit from a high eye point so with the extensive adjustable cushion and a full glass roof we can optimize the space and lower the overall height of the vehicle but
Keep the all-important high eye point and this then gives the efficiency gain in aerodynamics which means more range also to create that efficiency gain we can move the a-post forward and lower the hood as we’ve removed the combustion engine so this is it this is the new cab modern proportion now electrification is not just about the powertrain but it’s also about
Creating a new form language and design for the front of the car now by removing the combustion engine it’s logical to remove the grille but keep a solid shield like structure either side with a strong thor’s hammer light signature now the volvo design language is about taking a solid form and carving away the volume from the surface and this ultimately creates
The graphic and you can see that here in the diagonal so you can see this form language throughout the whole of the car now our design language does not only change in outside but also inside i mean we have embraced the scandinavian design principles of creating visually clean and harmonized design and because of the flat floor going to even more open space we
Have the optimal interface with the large 15-inch touchscreen and the floating driver display and the latest future connected experience now combined with the technology we have a strong architectural theme tailored in beautiful scandinavian natural materials and each part of the interior is like a piece of art and can stand alone as individual furniture in a
Room so now let’s talk about the front lights and our famous light signature connected to the story of thor the mythical god of thunder lightning and therefore electricity so what is the next generation of thor’s hammer a light which has the clear graphic both in the day and night and to achieve that we need to package all the latest high definition technology
Into a slim pure graphic and that’s exactly what we did so let’s move to the rear light again encapsulating the very latest technology but designed in a way to create a vertical graphic which is easily identified as a volvo when following the car and links to our strong heritage of vertical light signatures and then our lidar which flies in to sit on the roof in
The optimum position to collect the very best data now the lidar is a critical part of our excellence in safety and is an enabler to achieve our goal in zero collision the new aero wheel design adds to our efficiency gains along with the lower roof and lower front profile and they also symbolize a new generation of all electric cars the face of the car is proud
And confident and signifies the next generation of electric volvos the solid carved out shield the illuminated diagonal and iron mark supported either side with thor’s hammer a signature light which is pure in the daytime and then at night when you need the very latest high definition lights the eyes open and reveal a pure hammer this also gives the car an almost
Human character and personality now the rear of the car continues our design principles a visually clean design solid surfaces carved out to create the graphics the vertical lights encapsulate the interlocking jigsaw piece which proudly display the volvo word mark and the car welcomes you as you approach the vehicle so now we move from the exterior into the
Interior and you see our latest touch screen interface is not only seamlessly connected to your life but it’s also the rest of the car it breathes and lives as one when the screen comes alive as you sit in the car the lights flow into the illuminated backlit wood and then moves across the car and into the doors and with our future connected experience you enjoy
All the features of full connectivity designed to be serene intuitive and logical to use then we move into a virtual scene where the car’s many sensors come to good use in real-time traffic as part of the optimal aero efficiency of a lower roof we have blades which extend from the rear lights to enhance the airflow at the sides of the car and this also combined
With the low roof and of course the aero wheels and the low front profile now for the first time you see this new type of vehicle moving and the design has a visually clean and clear theme it stays true to our volvo dna and is modern and fresh it not only encapsulates the high seating position but also the high versatility expected by a family so now you’ve
Seen the car virtually let’s walk over and see the real model so here it is concept recharge and this really encapsulates all the technology that’s been talked about today it’s a new type of vehicle and it really is the new electric proportions inside you can see that we have the high seating position at the front so that’s the higher point and the same on the
Rear we have easy entry exit and also great versatility but with this car you’ve got the lower roof we’ve talked about and also the lower front as well and when we come to the front of the car you can see that we’ve taken away the traditional grille the open grille and instead we have now a new shield and this shield is a great background for the actual the iron
Mark and the diagonal then either side of that the car is supported then with the next generation force hammer and you can see here this is the thor’s hammer in daytime and then at night time the high definition lights come forward and that becomes an expression to the car you could even greet your friends and neighbors with the moving eyes then on top of the
Car we have the lidar set in that critical position to give us the very best data for our journey towards zero collision we come to the rear and you can see here we have the vertical lights which are true to the volvo dna and they lock in the center panel across the back now this is a really great example of the form language of this car we’ve taken a solid form
And we’ve carved away the surfaces and this then creates the graphic and this principle is is carried out throughout the whole of the car so now let’s have a look at the interior and the interior basically shows that first benefit from the fact we have a full battery pack it’s got this big open flat floor big open space in the front and the rear and that’s where
The technology really plays off to create a scandinavian living room in the center we have the large 15 inch touchscreen and also the floating display with our next generation user experience also you can see and i’ll move to the the side in the rear of the car there’s a cushion of the rear seat that’s elevated so that’s for a small child they can move it into
That position and then they can enjoy the high seating position the high increased safety and then their their eye point is the same as the rest of the passengers in the car the whole of the interiors is trimmed in natural sustainable materials and overall it gives a fantastic scandinavian living room experience and for me this car really delivers on our company
Purpose which is personal it’s sustainable and it’s safe okay over to hawken thank you very much
Transcribed from video
Future of design By Volvo Cars
