Volvo taps Pirelli expertise for Concept Recharge platform

Stockholm – Pirelli has developed tires “made from recycled and renewable material” for the Volvo’s electric Concept Recharge, the vehicle manufacturer announced in a release to introduce its latest electric car developments. 

The concept vehicle is a core part of the Swedish company’s plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030, towards becoming a climate neutral and circular business by 2040.

With the internal combustion engine making way for the pure electric powertrain, tires will play an even more important role in vehicles of the future, according to Volvo.  

“Not only are they crucial for safety, [tires] also contribute largely to the vehicle’s battery range,” said Volvo. “This means tires for electric cars always have to be on top of technology development.” 

The Concept Recharge features special tires made by Pirelli, which are “completely free from mineral oil and are made from 94% fossil-free materials,” Volvo said.

These, it said, include recycled and renewable materials such as natural rubber, bio-silica, rayon and bio-resin. 

“This reflects the circular approach shared by Volvo Cars and Pirelli, with a focus on reducing resource consumption and environmental impact,” stated Volvo.

In addition to the sustainable tires, Volvo said it had improved the overall efficiency of the car to extend its range – instead of adding more batteries which ‘add weight and increase carbon footprint’. 

The car’s interior and exterior design also feature sustainable materials including both natural and recycled materials.

Among other products, Volvo said it used “responsibly sourced Swedish wool”, “environmentally responsible textiles” and lightweight flax composites from natural sources in the concept vehicle.

According to the Swedish car maker, the combination of the sustainable materials has reduced the carbon impact of the car significantly. 

With the use of clean energy throughout a decarbonised supply chain, manufacturing process and use phase of the car, Volvo said it believed that it can reduce a car's lifecycle CO2 impact by 80% versus a 2018 Volvo XC60.

“This would mean that the Concept Recharge would have an overall life cycle CO2 impact below 10 tonnes, when charged with 100% renewable energy,” it added.