This concept car might look like one of those attempts made by artists to transform a mundane Volvo into a piece of visual art. But this headgear worn by a Volvo V60 is more utilitarian than it might look. The tent-like structure named as ‘Pure Tension Pavilion’ does a very specific job of charging the vehicle. The pavilion is a flexible HDPE mesh structure covered with Photovoltaic cells held together by carbon fibre rods. The complete structure can be folded into compact size to fit in the V60’s trunk.


It reduces the dependence on hard-to-find charging stations if not completely replacing it. The photovoltaic cells can charge the vehicle under natural sunlight or indoor artificial lights and also acts as a shelter to the car. This rendering was actually the winner of Volvo Italy’s ‘Pure Volvo Pavilion Design Competition. The pavilion, commissioned by Volvo Car Italia, is a collaborative effort between Synthesis Design + Architecture, Buro Happold, and Fabric Images and will power a Hybrid diesel V60. This is just an experimental creation and its efficiency and functionality will be tested for commercial usage.

[Via – Autoblog]