Volvo Offers a Personal Solution to Sustainable Mobility

The unique three-seat configuration provides unprecedented rear seat passenger comfort and all-around visibility for all passengers.

"With the Volvo 3CC, Volvo Cars is pioneering a new way of looking at mobility so generations in future can enjoy the same freedoms the car has given my generation. We believe it is necessary to show new ways to reduce pollution and congestion," says Lars Erik Lundin, Vice President & General Manager of the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC).

The Volvo 3CC is the brainchild of the designers, engineers and business people at the VMCC think-tank in California. Their task was to create a `future-proof concept´ that would enhance sustainable mobility. The 3CC is a car that is fuel-efficient, versatile, comfortable and safe, as well as exciting to drive and visually appealing.

"We want to connect in a positive way with consumers so that they say 'I want to be seen in this car'," Lundin explains. "We want to add emotional value to people's lives by offering an environmentally compatible car that appeals to all the senses, and a car which people want to drive."

Although its exterior is intentionally compact, the Volvo 3CC has been designed to feel spacious through organic lines and light colours. Inside, the fixed eye plane ergonomics and low profile A-pillar create a sense of openness aided by three transparent panels in the roof. The doors are hinged to swing upwards, and a floating dash panel slides forward to ease ingress and egress. A unique sliding seat system also assists ingress and egress to the rear seat.

The pedals adjust for individual requirements.

Designing the 3CC to look good was a priority. However, Volvo also wanted to deliver on overall sustainable mobility goals by providing excellent efficiency. Volvo has achieved this objective through good aerodynamics on a compact footprint, lightweight body materials, and an electric powertrain.

Volvo opted to give the Volvo 3CC a high strength steel space frame and composite sandwich floor panels for safety and lightweight. The outer body is a bonded single piece carbon fibre shell. The resulting chassis rigidity and its innovative suspension also give the car great handling characteristics.

...continued