Bcomp, a Swiss company specialising in high-performance flax composites, has partnered with Polestar to bring its lightweight bio-based materials into the new Polestar 5 four-door electric grand tourer (GT).
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The vehicle features Bcomp’s ampliTex and powerRibs technologies in the front seatbacks and tailgate structure, reducing the use of virgin plastics.
The collaboration began during the development of the Polestar Precept, a concept car and evolved into large-scale production for the Polestar 5. Together, the companies developed a bespoke ampliTex flax fabric known as the “Polestar Signature Weave”, designed to serve both structural and aesthetic functions in the interior cabin. This material has since become a defining feature of Polestar’s minimalist and transparent design language, engineered and tested for durability and performance across thousands of cars in global markets.
Polestar credits Bcomp’s flax-based composites with using 50% less fossil-based material and being up to 40% lighter than the traditional plastics they replace. Depending on the application, Bcomp’s natural fibre composites can also reduce the cradle-to-gate CO₂ footprint of components by up to 60%.
The Polestar 5’s front seatbacks combine Bcomp’s core ampliTex and powerRibs technologies with natural fibre polypropylene (NFPP).
ampliTex is a reinforcement fabric woven from European flax fibres that are processed mechanically, reducing the energy and emissions intensity compared with synthetic alternatives like carbon fibre or glass-reinforced plastics.
powerRibs is described as a proprietary three-dimensional reinforcement grid made from flax, inspired by the vein structure of leaves. Applied to the rear of a panel, it increases bending stiffness, allowing the component to be made thinner and lighter without sacrificing structural integrity, Bcomp says.
The visible finish inside the vehicle is Bcomp’s “Polestar Signature Weave”, a two-tone material that functions as both a structural element and a design surface, removing the need for added decorative layers.
The Polestar 5’s tailgate structure also incorporates Bcomp’s powerRibs technology, extending the use of natural fibre composites beyond the interior. All Bcomp components used in the vehicle have been validated to meet stringent automotive standards for durability, safety, UV resistance, scratch resistance, and long-term ageing performance.
Unlike conventional carbon fibre composites, which are typically landfilled or incinerated without energy recovery at the end of their service life, Bcomp’s flax-based materials offer more practical end-of-life pathways. Production scraps can be recycled into materials for injection moulding applications, and thermoset flax composites can be incinerated for energy recovery, helping recover value from the biogenic carbon stored in the material.
Per Martensson, Chief Revenue Officer at Bcomp said: “Working with Polestar over a number of years has given us the opportunity to show that the path from a material concept to a series-production component can be long and rigorous but is ultimately worth it. The Polestar 5 seatbacks have a combination of lightweighting performance, reduced carbon footprint, and design for end-of-life that conventional composites cannot offer. Polestar are leading the way in accountability around material choice, and we are excited to be a part of this effort.”
Maria Uggla, Head of CMF design at Polestar said: “The materials we use in our vehicles are important from their environmental impact as well as their performance aspects. With the Polestar 5, we aim for a performance-focused Grand Tourer, without compromising on our sustainability targets. Bcomp’s materials have allowed us to build a performance-focused seatback as well as not compromise our sustainability requirements.”
See also: Polestar’s halo flagship: The Polestar 5
