, BMW Group announced that it will now use natural fiber composites in its regular production vehicles. After years of research and development, these eco-friendly materials have reached the quality needed for use in key car parts, including roofs. Developed with Swiss clean-tech company Bcomp, the flax-based composites help lower carbon emissions. BMW supports Bcomp through its investment arm, BMW i Ventures. Lightweight design has always been a...

News  Updated at: 2025/06/17

rior uses innovative, sustainable materials such as Simplifyber Fybron, a cellulose-based alternative to plastic, and mycelium-infused elements developed with Biomyc. These materials reduce waste and enhance comfort, texture, and insulation. Additionally, Kia partnered with Bcomp to use AmpliTex, a flax fiber bio-composite, in seat structures, contributing to weight reduction and recyclability. Lifestyle-focused features like detachable cushions,...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/11

Bcomp, Switzerland and SFG Composites, UAE to accelerate flax fibre solutions to automotive industry On February 28, Bcomp, a cleantech company, partnered with SFG Composites, a Tier 1 automotive supplier, to bring flax fibre composites to the automotive industry. The collaboration will offer manufacturers with a high-performance, lightweight, and eco-friendly alternative to plastic, glass, and carbon fibre, promoting sustainable vehicle producti...

News  Updated at: 2025/02/28

the headquarters of OK Mobility in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The prototype's presentation is part of the agreement under which OK Mobility will purchase 5,000 units of the LIUX GEKO over the next three years. The vehicle boasts a very compact design and is made from sustainable materials, including flax fiber and recyclable resins. It offers an energy efficiency of over 13 km/kWh, with a base range of 170 km that can be extended to 230 km. Based ...

News  Updated at: 2024/09/30

CFRPs). According to the company’s representative, CFRPs are light, strong, and excellent in anti-corrosion properties, but mounting a motor on a CFRP frame may cause resonance. To solve this problem, Kyowa MFG has developed a natural fiber reinforced plastic (NFRP) material that uses plant-based flax fibers instead of CFs. NFRPs, which are also lightweight and strong, have excellent vibration damping properties, and can reduce the occurrence o...

News  Updated at: 2024/06/10

CUPRA introduces sustainable flax fiber seats in CUPRA Born VZ On May 21, SEAT S.A. announced that CUPRA is partnering with Bcomp, Switzerland, and Sabelt, Italy to integrate flax fiber into the CUPRA Born VZ, reducing plastic use while maintaining carbon fiber safety levels. The new CUP Buckets' backrests are made from flax fiber, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 49%. Each seat will be unique due to the natural variability of flax fibers. As ...

News  Updated at: 2024/05/21

e vision of Kia Europe’s designers. The Kia Concept EV3 features ampliTex in its seat back shell, center console table, and seat stand, while the Concept EV4 features ampliTex in its aesthetic stripe seat back, seat stands, and center console table. The ampliTex fabric harnesses the properties of flax fibers to produce parts with stiffness and weight to carbon fiber, cutting CO2 emissions by up to 85% and offering more sustainable end-of-life s...

News  Updated at: 2024/05/01

ever electric vehicle design concept motorcycle and the all-new Himalayan and at the EICMA Motor Show 2023, at Milan, Italy. The concept bike features an in-house designed battery box that serves as the main structural element, and deploy generative design and incorporate new materials like organic flax fibre composite bodywork. The Electric Himalayan Testbed, and future iterations of the motorcycle, have been ridden and tested in its natural hab...

News  Updated at: 2023/11/07

Bcomp, Switzerland provides sustainable flax composites for new Volvo EX30 On June 12, Bcomp announced the application of its natural fiber composite technology, ampliTex, in the new Volvo EX30. Bcomp’s flax fiber composites are offered as an optional trim for the dashboard and doors of the EX30. The collaboration follows Volvo Cars Tech Fund’s Series B investment in Bcomp last year. ampliTex is a technical reinforcement fabric made from rene...

News  Updated at: 2023/06/13

love compartment and placed it beneath the center screen. The center console has a sliding system. The top of the cupholder can be slid out or moved back for more storage. The lower tunnel has a protective storage area for small items. Volvo Cars uses recycled and renewable materials such as denim, flax, and wool, as well as a variety of expressive colors and textures, in the interior of EX30. Based on Volvo Cars press release ...

News  Updated at: 2023/05/31

autex Textron, a close-to-production technology demonstrator has been developed for this, with LANXESS responsible for material and Kautex for component and process development. The new Tepex Scopeblue biocomposite is particularly lightweight thanks to the low density of the reinforcing continuous flax fibers. Its weight-specific stiffness is comparable to that of the equivalent glass-fiber-reinforced material variants. Another focus area for LA...

News  Updated at: 2022/04/12

Volvo Cars Tech Fund invests in sustainable lightweight materials firm Bcomp On April 5, Volvo Cars made a strategic investment in Bcomp, an innovative Swiss firm that develops high-performance lightweight materials based on natural fibers, through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, its venture capital arm. To create its materials, Bcomp uses flax fibers, a bio-based material that offers significant savings in terms of weight, energy use, and emissions v...

News  Updated at: 2022/04/05

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings acquires stake in Lingrove Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings) announced that it has invested in Lingrove, Inc. (Lingrove), a developer of plant-based composites. The investment amount has not been disclosed. Lingrove has been rolling out Ekoa composites made from resins and natural fiber like flax. The two companies will jointly develop a polymer with low environmental impact and p...

News  Updated at: 2022/03/03

Lanxess develops new natural resource-derived thermoplastic composite material Lanxess AG (Lanxess) announced that it has developed a new product using natural resources for its Tepex continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material. The new product combines flax fiber fabric and polylactic acid of biomass origin as a base material. Lanxess hopes to win orders for automotive interior parts, electric device cases, and sports goods. The...

News  Updated at: 2021/10/27

hofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI demonstrates the feasibility of replacing the carbon fibres with natural fibre materials and using them in a practical way. An example of this practical use is the small-batch door included in the exhibit: it is made from 100 percent flax fibres, which are natural fibres that are available on the market.At IAA Mobility 2021 it will be using two solar car roofs to demonstrate a sele...

News  Updated at: 2021/09/06

the heart of the Volta Trucks brand, and this extends well beyond the removal of tailpipe emissions and into the sustainability of the vehicle’s supply chain and material selection. When the Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, it was the first commercial vehicle to use sustainably-sourced flax and biodegradable resin composite panels. The fully natural, lightweight, high-performance fibre material is almost CO 2 neutral over its lifecyc...

News  Updated at: 2021/07/22

arbonNeutral certified, Shred Station has clear environmental commitments, with the Volta Zero joining a portfolio of low-emission trucks already on the fleet. With its own zero emission and sustainable approach to inner-city logistics, thanks to the full-electric powertrain and sustainable natural flax and biodegradable resin composite body panels, the Volta Zero will perfectly complement Shred Station’s environmental ambitions. Volta Trucks p...

News  Updated at: 2020/12/25

iveries were really like and interviewing logistics managers and drivers. Astheimer had three main priorities: Safety, ease of ingress / egress and the best driver environment of any truck on the market.  To create the most sustainable vehicle possible, Astheimer made the body panels from natural flax fiber infused with a biodegradable resin. The result is a fully natural, extremely lightweight, high-performance fiber composite that is almost C...

News  Updated at: 2020/09/04

delivery and logistics companies in H1 of 2021. Orders have already been taken from companies wanting to secure the first customer-specification vehicles, which are due to be delivered when production starts in 2022.The Volta Zero will be the first road vehicle to use a sustainably sourced natural Flax material and biodegradable resin in the construction of exterior body panels, with the cab’s dark body panels and many interior trims construct...

News  Updated at: 2020/09/03

Zero incorporates a pioneering hybrid mix of innovative materials to provide the ultimate levels of passive safety. Lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber is used for the structural windscreen surround but most of the cab’s external body panels are constructed from strong yet sustainable natural flax fiber composite material. Volta Trucks press release...

News  Updated at: 2020/07/29