Swedish carmaker Volvo has long been recognised for the excellent reliability and safety of its cars, but has not been revolutionary in its attempts to push the combustion engine off its mortal coil.
That is, until now. Regard the ‘solar pavilion’, an elegant swirling membrane that is able to charge its associated car – the V40 Plug-in Hybrid – in just 12 hours, according to the designers.
A fibre glass tube holds the membrane in tension, ensuring the device can capture sunlight from every possible angle.
Developed for Volvo by an agency called Synthesis Design + Architecture, the solar pavilion is arguably more of a promotional stunt (part of their ‘Switch to Pure Volvo’ campaign) than a product we might actually see attached to a V40 Hybrid Plug-In (not yet for sale). While beautiful and effective in the right conditions, the concept runs into a number of problems: its large dimensions make it impractical for most parking spots, not to mention vulnerable to damage (accidental or otherwise). It also doesn’t address the fact that most drivers will want to charge their car overnight, possibly in a garage, and not during the day when they’ll be using it most.
But it remains an impressive piece of design that weighs about as much as a tent and can be packed away in the boot with ease. It also proves that Volvo is serious about being a leader in greener car technologies, and is not merely resting on its laurels as a car for which you might never need vehicle recovery.
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