Transcription
We have seen technology from different parts and different areas interact with each other and how they can play an important part in our future. The core computer, the connected experience, the batteries that provide the range and the fast charging. But now, how does that come together to a car? We already now talk about the next generation of cars. We have said already that post R3 will come out next year. There will be a new Volvo flagship model coming out and be unveiled next year. But how about today? Let's see if we can give you a sneak peek into how design of future cars can put all of this technology together in a nice package for you. And Robin Page, please take it away.
So, thank you Henrik. So now is the moment to introduce a concept Recharge. It is a car which represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of Volvo cars, as well as a new type of vehicle. It displays modern proportions that go hand in hand with increased versatility and shows what all the amazing future technologies that you've seen today can enable in terms of design. So to explain this, let's open the box and assemble our concept car and then I can run through how we have designed our next generation of cars. But let's first start by looking at a traditional SUV with an internal combustion engine and then we can make the comparison between the two.
The proportions, head height, and overhangs are set by the position of the engine and the wheels. The floor and seats are positioned on top of the transmission components. Then the silhouette of the car is formed around the engine and the high eye point of the people and the thickness of the roof. So this is the layout of an SUV that you're familiar with today. Now let us remove the engine and introduce our full battery pack. And to give our customers the range they want, we fit a large battery pack. And as a result, we extend the wheelbase and increase the wheel size. And this also creates the all-important flat floor, which results in even more space in our Scandinavian living room.
Now, with the wheels moving out, we also shorten the overhangs. So now we can reposition the seats and then show you a new innovation. Now, Volvo introduced the booster cushion back in 1978 to create enhanced safety for small children. Now we take this even further by having a full adjustable cushion in the rear to not only create the perfect seat but also let everyone in the car benefit from a high eye point. So with the extensive adjustable cushion and a full glass roof, we can optimize the space and lower the overall height of the vehicle, but keep the all-important high eye point. And this then gives the efficiency gain in aerodynamics, which means more range.
Also, to create that efficiency gain, we can move the A-post forward and lower the hood, as we've removed the combustion engine. So this is it. This is the new cab. Modern proportion. Now, electrification is not just about the powertrain, but it's also about creating a new form language and design for the front of the car. Now, by removing the combustion engine, it's logical to remove the grille, but keep a solid shield-like structure either side with a strong Thor's hammer light signature. Now, the Volvo design language is about taking a solid form and carving away the volume from the surface, and this ultimately creates the graphic. And you can see that here in the diagonal. So you can see this form language throughout the whole of the car.
Now, our design language does not only change in outside, but also inside. I mean, we have embraced the Scandinavian design principles of creating visually clean and harmonized design. And because of the flat floor going to even more open space, we have the optimal interface with the large 15-inch touchscreen and the floating driver display and the latest future connected experience. Now, combined with the technology, we have a strong architectural theme tailored in beautiful Scandinavian natural materials. And each part of the interior is like a piece of art and can stand alone as individual furniture in a room.
So now, let's talk about the front lights and our famous light signature connected to the story of Thor, the mythical god of thunder, lightning, and therefore electricity. So what is the next generation of Thor's hammer? A light which has the clear graphic both in the day and night. And to achieve that, we need to package all the latest high-definition technology into a slim, pure graphic. And that's exactly what we did. So let's move to the rear light again, encapsulating the very latest technology, but designed in a way to create a vertical graphic which is easily identified as a Volvo when following the car and links to our strong heritage of vertical light signatures. And then our lidar, which flies in to sit on the roof in the optimum position to collect the very best data. Now, the lidar is a critical part of our excellence in safety and is an enabler to achieve our goal in zero collision.
The new aero wheel design adds to our efficiency gains along with the lower roof and lower front profile. And they also symbolize a new generation of all-electric cars. The face of the car is proud and confident and signifies the next generation of electric Volvos. The solid carved-out shield, the illuminated diagonal and iron mark, supported either side with Thor's hammer, a signature light which is pure in the daytime. And then at night, when you need the very latest high-definition lights, the eyes open and reveal a pure hammer. This also gives the car an almost human character and personality.
Now, the rear of the car continues our design principles. A visually clean design, solid surfaces carved out to create the graphics. The vertical lights encapsulate the interlocking jigsaw piece, which proudly display the Volvo word mark. And the car welcomes you as you approach the vehicle. So now we move from the exterior into the interior, and you see our latest touchscreen interface is not only seamlessly connected to your life, but it's also the rest of the car. It breathes and lives as one. When the screen comes alive as you sit in the car, the lights flow into the illuminated backlit wood and then moves across the car and into the doors. And with our future connected experience, you enjoy all the features of full connectivity, designed to be serene, intuitive, and logical to use.
Then we move into a virtual scene where the car's many sensors come to good use in real-time traffic. As part of the optimal aero efficiency of a lower roof, we have blades which extend from the rear lights to enhance the airflow at the sides of the car. And this also combined with the low roof and of course the aero wheels and the low front profile. Now, for the first time, you see this new type of vehicle moving. And the design has a visually clean and clear theme. It stays true to our Volvo DNA and is modern and fresh. It not only encapsulates the high seating position, but also the high versatility expected by a family. So now you've seen the car virtually. Let's walk over and see the real model.
[Music]
So here it is, Concept Recharge. And this really encapsulates all the technology that's been talked about today. It's a new type of vehicle, and it really is the new electric proportions. Inside, you can see that we have the high seating position at the front, so that's the higher point, and the same on the rear. We have easy entry, exit, and also great versatility. But with this car, you've got the lower roof we've talked about, and also the lower front as well. And when we come to the front of the car, you can see that we've taken away the traditional grille, the open grille, and instead we have now a new shield. And this shield is a great background for the actual the iron mark and the diagonal. Then either side of that, the car is supported then with the next generation Thor's hammer. And you can see here, this is the Thor's hammer in daytime. And then at night time, the high-definition lights come forward, and that becomes an expression to the car. You could even greet your friends and neighbors with the moving eyes.
Then on top of the car, we have the lidar set in that critical position to give us the very best data for our journey towards zero collision. We come to the rear, and you can see here we have the vertical lights which are true to the Volvo DNA, and they lock in the center panel across the back. Now, this is a really great example of the form language of this car. We've taken a solid form and we've carved away the surfaces, and this then creates the graphic. And this principle is is carried out throughout the whole of the car. So now let's have a look at the interior. And the interior basically shows that first benefit from the fact we have a full battery pack. It's got this big open flat floor, big open space in the front and the rear. And that's where the technology really plays off to create a Scandinavian living room.
In the center, we have the large 15-inch touchscreen and also the floating display with our next-generation user experience. Also, you can see, and I'll move to the the side in the rear of the car, there's a cushion of the rear seat that's elevated. So that's for a small child. They can move it into that position, and then they can enjoy the high seating position, the high increased safety, and then their their eye point is the same as the rest of the passengers in the car. The whole of the interior is trimmed in natural sustainable materials, and overall it gives a fantastic Scandinavian living room experience. And for me, this car really delivers on our company purpose, which is personal, it's sustainable, and it's safe. Okay, over to Håkan. Thank you very much.