Automotive brand Polestar—which is jointly owned by Volvo and its parent company Geely—recently announced that it will make future models with sustainable vegan materials. To fulfill its mission of full-circle sustainability, Polestar will reduce the weight of its cars, cut plastic content, and lessen waste materials by utilizing flax, cork, discarded fishing nets, and 100-percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. “It’s clear that to be truly sustainable we have to evaluate every element that goes into our cars,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said. “For Polestar, sustainability is not just about the electric power train. With the development of these innovative new solutions that we will introduce in our future cars, we make a strong statement of our intentions.” 

New Polestar interior panels will feature powerRibs and ampliTex technologies created by brand BComp Ltd. using flax, a sustainable bio-material that does not interfere with food crop rotation which also allows for the construction of a 50-percent lighter weight vehicle. The cars will feature a 3D-knit fiber woven from PET bottles, and used in combination with cork, to create seating surfaces. As for the floor mats, Polestar will utilize Recycled Nylon 6—a material created from discarded fishing nets. “Importantly, we don’t need to sacrifice design and luxury with these materials,” Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design at Polestar, said. “If anything, they enable even more premium, cutting-edge, modern, and stylish executions which elevate our design-led products. It also presents a positive challenge, giving new meaning to interior design. We are able to derive new aesthetics from new contexts and technologies, allowing society to move on.” The commitment to using sustainable animal-free materials comes after the recent release of Volvo’s Polestar 2, an all-electric vehicle offered with a standard vegan interior.