To launch the new Volvo hybrid, the XC90 T8, we didn’t create just an ad. We turned it into the first hybrid to be powered by gas, electricity and other cars. To make that happen, we designed a new kind of electric charging station: one that can steal power from cars on the road.

A peristaltic system was created to capture energy from cars using only hydraulic power. Its main component was a mat containing tubes full of water. When a car drives over it, it compresses the tubes and its forward momentum pressures the water through, generating power. The hydraulic power is then turned into electricity.

After over 4 months developing the technology, we hijacked a highway in California and used the system to steal energy from other cars to power the new Volvo hybrid SUV. A special billboard thanked all the other car brands whose energy was stolen.

The custom peristaltic system is composed of several primary components: A contact mat, constructed of treated plywood, a webbing support and fire-grade hoses; a collection chamber which captures fluid and generates fluid pressure; a custom gearbox which transfers captured pressure into motion through a generator; and a battery bank divided into 2 sets, active and passive. The system uses regular water and is closed-circuit, with water being fed to and replenished back into the circuit through a series of manifolds.

As a vehicle drives over the mat, it exerts pressure on the slatted surface, which compresses a network of hoses underneath. The pressure is collected in a tank, which builds fluid pressure as the system is used. The resulting pressure drives a custom gearbox assembly, which converts that motion into rotational energy captured by a generator. The generator charges the battery bank, which is split into two, rotated arrays – one for energy capture, the other for continuous discharge into the vehicle.

The creation of the peristaltic system was based on a proposed concept in which common physical and mechanical principles would be combined in such a way that we could efficiently generate energy while being as non-invasive to the roadway as possible.

The process involved an R&D period in which different solutions for contact surface, energy generation, transfer and storage were vetted. The mat-and-hose assembly surface required enough durability to handle cars of varying weight classes, while being pliable enough to exert the force needed to create adequate system pressure.

Energy transfer mechanisms including hydraulic motors and a Pelton wheel were vetted for highest energy transfer without too much overhead or loss. Final testing included software simulations, drive-overs to ensure durability and energy generation potential, as well as discharge cycles to test battery bank output and charge times.

The goal was to accumulate enough energy over a 2-day period to charge the car (which houses an 11kWh battery) as close to full as attainable, depending on actual traffic patterns. The car obtained over a 50% charge before it was pulled off for an extended test drive. Remaining banked power was estimated to have charged the car up to 75% if fully discharged into the vehicle.

The campaign generated more than 71MM total media impressions and 5.3 million views in 2 weeks. PR coverage of the activation came from 40 different countries, and totaled more than 200 articles. The estimated earned media value in North America was $1.5 million.

As The Drive put it, Highway Robbery is more than just a way to “start conversations about harnessing energy; these are part of the big statements the brand is making about where it stands in the constellation of automakers.”

Volvo was launching its first ever plug-in hybrid in the US, the XC90 T8 that happens to also be the most powerful Volvo ever. This type of power from a plug-in hybrid is unusual in the automotive industry, but Volvo doesn’t follow convention and developed technology that delivers 400hp in a luxury SUV that has an eye toward doing right by the planet: performance with a conscience.

Volvo found a way to capture and deliver power in an unexpected way, so we set out to create an experience that brought this idea to life that we knew would appeal to the tech obsessed audience we targeted.

The project started with an on-the-ground activation that reached thousands of drivers on the California highway. We captured that experience and turned it into a video so that our target all over the world would have the chance to see what Volvo had done.