Care by Volvo offers a car subscription service, but with all cars being newly manufactured, sustainability is a challenge. Our project aimed to tackle this by proposing three eco-friendly solutions. Imagine subscribing to a service, but being unsure if it's truly sustainable. Wouldn't it be great to have the option to choose recycled materials, solar-powered cars, or even share a car within your community?

Project overview

During the course, we focused on sustainable design, addressing three dimensions: ecological, social, and economic sustainability. The goal was to explore how Care by Volvo’s service, which offers car subscriptions, could become more sustainable. The project aimed to develop solutions that:

Reduce environmental impact

Promote social equity

Economic sustainability

Approach

Each week, we concentrated on one of the three sustainability dimensions. Our approach was to connect our solutions to Volvo’s existing service and investigate opportunities for sustainable innovation. We began by analyzing the challenges posed by Care by Volvo’s model, which offers only newly manufactured cars. Through concept development and design principles, we created solutions addressing ecological, social, and economic sustainability.

How can we push people to make more sustainable choices?

Solution

Ecological Sustainability (Reuse and Eco-feedback):

To address ecological sustainability, we developed a concept where users could choose recycled materials when designing their car. We introduced “eco-feedback,” a technique that provides users with information about the environmental impact of different material choices. This motivates more eco-friendly decisions by visualizing the emissions associated with production, thus reducing resource waste.

We integrated eco-feedback to guide users toward more environmentally friendly choices in both the car's design and interior. This feature provides real-time information on the environmental impact of different materials and components, encouraging the user to select options that reduce carbon emissions. By presenting the sustainability of each choice, the system subtly nudges users to make greener decisions

Economic Sustainability (Solar-Powered Cars):

My team designed a concept for solar-powered cars. Solar panels would be installed on car roofs, allowing for energy collection while driving. This energy could be sold to energy companies, not only increasing the company’s revenue but also contributing to a greater supply of green energy in society. This concept links both economic and ecological sustainability by reducing the need for fossil fuels and creating financial incentives for the company.

A solar panel mounted on the car's roof is connected to a battery separate from the one powering the car. The battery is discharged at designated stations. We also added features allowing the user to monitor the car’s battery life and get directions to the nearest charging stations. This solution optimizes, conserves, and recycles energy.

Sustainability (Car Sharing for Students):

We created a solution for social sustainability by designing an app that allows students in a housing association to share a car. Through this carpool system, more students can access transportation without needing to buy their own car. This reduces the individual’s financial burden while also lowering the number of cars in society, benefiting both social and ecological sustainability.

We introduced a shared mobility system where residents of the same apartment building can schedule use of a shared car through a dedicated app. The app allows users to reserve time slots, view availability, and manage bookings seamlessly. Access to the vehicle is secured through a key fob, ensuring that only authorized users can unlock and use the car. This solution not only promotes resource efficiency and reduces the number of cars needed, but it also prioritizes security, ensuring safe and convenient shared mobility for all residents.

Conclusion

By taking an interdisciplinary approach and focusing on the ecological, social, and economic aspects of sustainability, we developed innovative solutions that can contribute to a more sustainable future for Care by Volvo and society as a whole.

Open your eyes

This project aimed to promote accessibility with a focus on color blindness. The project resulted in a norm-critical workshop where people get to experience being color blind. The focus was to spread knowledge about what exclusion looks like today, which is necessary to create a more inclusive and sustainable society.