The renowned Swedish carmaker Volvo introduced the EX30 SUV as a miniature car in its promotional images. The company stated that this car has around 20% less carbon footprint as compared to other electric cars. Thus, the estimated CO2 emission after driving it over 200,000 kilometers would be less than 30 tons.

Volvo mentioned this information in their Life Cycle Analysis document that would be released at car launch. The company also mentioned the use of recycled metals in car production but the real dimensions of the car are yet to be revealed.

EX30 is the new electric SUV by Volvo and the company claims that the carbon footprint for this car is smaller than any other Volvo cars. The Swedish carmaker is so determined to bring this fact into knowledge that the promotional images for EX30 are made like a miniature car for ants. The car is shown as a mini version cruising on the dashboard of a regular car.

Anders Kפrrberg, Volvo global head of sustainability, said, “Our new EX30 is a big step in the right direction for our sustainability ambitions. By 2025, we aim to reduce our overall CO2 emissions per car by 40 per cent from 2018 levels through a 50 percent reduction in overall tailpipe emissions, and a 25 per cent reduction in emissions from our operations, raw material sourcing and supply chain – all on the way towards our ambition of being a climate neutral company by 2040.”

According to the company the total CO2 emissions of EX30 for more than 200,000 kilometers is below 30 tons. However, this information is based on assessment, but the company has not said anything about assessment. Instead, they call it a verified Life Cycle Analysis document and plan to publish it at the car launch.

The company mentioned that its upcoming SUV will emit 25% less carbon dioxide in comparison to its present all-electric models. Volvo has issued an assessment for its other fully electric vehicles, C40 and XC40, stating that total emission from C40 would be around 42 tons.

For EX30 the company said it is using recycled metals and plastics. Volvo pledged to make the car in a factory powered by high levels of climate-neutral energy and asked tier 1 supplier to do the same.

Designers have used optimization as a guiding sustainable design principle for adding multiple functions within the Volvo EX30. This approach reduced the number of parts needed without compromising on functionality.

About 17% of all plastic used in the car is recycled and this is the highest percentage of it to be used in any Volvo car to date. Thus, the material used for EX30 is going to another contributor for a more sustainable way for creating new cars. Their small form make them seem like a miniature car for ants.

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The company continues to tackle the material traceability challenge while producing the battery packs for Volvo EX30. With blockchain technology, critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and graphite are being traced.

The company hasn’t released the car’s size yet, but they stated that making a smaller car requires less material to manufacture it. But considering the promotional images and statements by Volvo, it is assumed that the car could be smaller than their other all-electric versions.

Inside materials

For seats, doors, dashboard, also renewable and recycled materials are used like flax, wool-blend, and denim. These products contain around 70% recycled polyester and denim is a good example of how such materials can be used in sustainable and smart ways.

For denim interior deco, Volvo used fibers that would otherwise be waste products of the denim during the recycling process. While recycling jeans, shredded fibers are twisted into yarn and long fibers link with each other but short fibers fall off as waste. These short fibers are used in Volvo EX30 denim interior deco.

Small size without compromise

Adding up all this to a car that has cradle-to-gate CO2 impact estimated to be around 18 tons. Cradle-to-gate means the CO2 impact from the extraction of raw materials to the finished car before it is driven.

EX30 is designed to be recovered to 95% at its end of life by recycling the materials to recover the energy from unrecoverable. The new Volvo EX30 would be revealed on 7-June-2023 and then this mystery of a miniature car for ants due to its promotional images will also be solved.

Points regarding the small print

  • The calculation of the carbon footprint for driving less than 30 tons over 200,000 kilometers uses electricity from the EU27 mix.
  • Volvo’s newest car has the smallest carbon footprint of their cars produced so far, over a distance of 200,000 km driven.
  • Based on the WLTP driving cycle, the new car’s range and energy efficiency can be determined under controlled conditions. But the real-world range may vary and figures are based on preliminary targets.
  • Car specifications and customer offers vary by country. Please visit volvocars.com for further information.
  • Assessment-based carbon footprint and cradle-to-gate CO2 values have been determined. Volvo will release an official Life Cycle Analysis report later this year, which has been thoroughly verified.

Source: Volvo Cars Press Release

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Elliot is a passionate environmentalist and blogger who has dedicated his life to spreading awareness about conservation, green energy, and renewable energy. With a background in environmental science, he has a deep understanding of the issues facing our planet and is committed to educating others on how they can make a difference.

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