2010 Volvo Air Motion Concept

During Los Angeles Auto Show a scale model of this car – Volvo Air Motion – will be on display, participating in the Design Challenge Competition. The Volvo Air Motion Concept is designed like a clam shell and sculpted from ultra light carbon fibre. Minimising weight and complexity, while maximising driving enjoyment, is the philosophy behind this vehicle.

Aimed at the driving enthusiast, by a company synonymous with safety and environmental care, the Volvo Air Motion demonstrates the beauty and purity of Scandinavian design and delivers a guilt free, raw driving experience

Thousands fewer components are employed than in a traditional car thanks to the powerful yet simple compressed air motors that replace a heavy internal combustion engine. The motors cool down under load rather than heat up, thus removing the need for heavy cooling systems. An integrated approach to designing the chassis, interior and suspension also contribute significantly.

Powered by air turbines floating 1,000ft in the air they harness the power of the wind and convert it to electricity to provide the compression. Volvo Air Motion has been developed at Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC) that opened in 1986. VMCC is situated in Camarillo, California. VMCC Air Motion Team: Chris Benjamin, Dean Bakker, Steve Goodrich, Bjorn Wessman, Doug Frasher, Dean Shaw and Geza Loczi

 Each year for the past seven years, a topical theme is chosen and the major Southern California automotive design studios are invited to compete in the Design Challenge. For the first time studios from Germany and Japan will join the competition adding an international dimension to the contest. The highly anticipated challenge allows studios to flex their creativity and explore new ideas in automotive design