Polestar and Bcomp

Every so often, science fiction becomes science fact.

Back view of a Polestar car seat on a white background.

Blending technology and living materials is an age-old science fiction idea. So is replacing the mechanical with the biological. Occasionally, something from sci-fi is not only possible to replicate in real life, but also incredibly useful. Like the materials made by Bcomp. 

Based in the Swiss city of Fribourg, Bcomp is a “natural fibre composite innovator” which has been producing sustainable materials for a variety of applications since 2011. What makes this a science-fiction-in-real-life story is that they’re made from organic fibres. We’ve teamed with Bcomp in order to make use of two of their game-changing composites. 

A close-up of a Polestar car seat in grey and white.

The first of these materials is ampliTex™, made from woven flax fibres. When used in the interior of a car, for example, it reduces both vibrations and overall weight, while acting as a visual layer. The fibres are processed mechanically as opposed to chemically, and flax itself is much less taxing on soil than other crops.

The second is powerRibs™, also made from flax. Inspired by the vein structures of leaves, they form a 3D structure on the back of a panel which drastically increases the panel’s strength and stiffness. This allows the panel itself to be thinner than if it were made of a more traditional material, cutting down both weight and material amount. It reduces vibrations by a whopping 250%. It can even behave better in a crash situation when compared with more conventional materials.

Ground-breaking materials made from organic components used to only be found in the far future of science fiction. Soon, they could be found in a Polestar.

Related

Close-up of Maria Uggla holding the Polestar signature weave.

Polestar and Bcomp: the making of our signature interior weave

The car industry is undergoing seismic shifts. Powertrains, autonomous driving, and infotainment systems are completely transforming our understanding of mobility. Not to be outdone interior designers and fabric manufacturers are making their own innovations - racing to find materials that are sustainable while still retaining an exclusive feel. And in the middle of the Swiss Alps, we think we've found just that.