The Chromebook Vero 514, showcase of Acer’s (many) ecological commitments

According to Acer executives, who showcased the company’s green efforts on Acer Green Day, the Vero product line launched in 2021 (carried by the Aspire Vero tested here) met with great success, “proof that customers are paying more attention than ever to the environmental impact of the products they buy”. A market catchphrase that encourages Acer to persevere in its efforts – in production, but also in communication – in order to offer electronic products that are more virtuous for the planet, in a context of ecological emergency. Although the best computer for the planet is the one that is neither manufactured nor bought (sobriety obliges), brands are feeling the tide and it is becoming urgent to position themselves in a market in transition, which calls for major changes. For Acer — whose logo is historically green! — that seems obvious.

A new showcase for these eco-friendly commitments, the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 is the best for the planet in terms of PCs from the Taiwanese manufacturer. By reading Chromebook, a computer that therefore runs on Chrome OS, we generally expect the on-board configuration to be quite light and very efficient from an energy point of view, since the system requires fewer resources. Bad luck, it is by evoking a machine with an Intel Core 12th Gen processor that the company starts its presentation. So certainly, for a machine to last over time, it must be able to respond to a maximum of uses without giving the impression of rowing – to avoid early renewal. But it would have been interesting if an alternative to a latest generation Intel CPU had been offered.

Partly recycled plastics and packaging

On the chassis side, we learn that 30% recycled plastics are used (this is the objective that Acer has set itself to achieve for a maximum of products in 2025), while the keys of the Chromebook Vero 514 keyboard are made from 50% PCR (post consumer recycled) plastics. There is even recycled plastic in the speakers of the computer, while the fan and the touchpad are made from materials recovered from the oceans (the latter even manages to reproduce a touch similar to glass). Inevitably, Acer insists on the durability of its computer, a keyword inseparable from any initiative a little green.

Too bad, here durability is combined not with special efforts in terms of repairability or upgrading of equipment, but with the “military” certification of the product, which can probably have a hectic existence and undergo shocks without consequences. Good point, no paint is used and the “raw” rendering of the material is part of the design. Acer promises, for its laptop, an autonomy of 10 hours on a charge, and 5 hours recovered in just 30 minutes thanks to the fast charge. Equipped with a 14 “screen protected by Gorilla Glass, it is intended to be sustainable in terms of connectivity with two USB-C ports, a USB-A 3.2, an HDMI video output and support for wifi 6E.

Suppliers embarked on the adventure

We have little information on the manufacturing process of the Chromebook Vero 514 (and its version for professionals), but the company mentions a low carbon impact production chain. Ditto for suppliers and subcontractors: Acer ensures that they are integrated into its program and set ambitious goals for them to reduce their impact. However, without control, quantification of efforts or transparency, this remains the domain of fine words (and reassuring documentaries to be broadcast to shareholders and journalists).

Sometimes, we feel in the speech hints of greenwashing. For example, when Acer mentions its desire to integrate its ranges of professional portable PCs into its approach, we guess a somewhat opportunistic attempt to echo the desire of many companies to equip themselves with “responsible” equipment, for them themselves be able to communicate about their efforts to their customers. For now, we will have to settle for knowing that 55% of Acer’s key suppliers have set targets for reducing their carbon emissions, and that 80% of them say they want to meet RE100 standards by 2025. Acer is of course a member of this initiative, and has indicated that it will use 100% renewable energy in 2035. What about the vouchers to pollute in exchange for planting trees?

However, we don’t want to give the impression of typing away Acer for free, which obviously does R&D to improve the ecological cost of some of its products. That the brand takes the opportunity to communicate favorably about these efforts is, moreover, completely normal. It is also to be expected, given the growing interest in sustainable solutions, that more and more brands will make their ecological commitments a very strong axis of communication. Despite everything, it seems important to us to recall certain obvious facts, and to ensure that behind a handful of eco-designed products displayed at the top of the gondola, there are not permanently hidden tons of other references on which no effort has been made.

Towards more modularity

Lines of PCs designed to last much longer, easily repairable, that can be updated over long periods of time, and of which we would ensure the recycling of as many elements as possible at the end of the cycle: that would do even more good for the planet, even if it were to have an impact on sales volumes. The modularity of computers is a point too quickly evaded by Acer (which is content to show that its Chromebook Vero 514 can be easily opened), whereas it is indeed a track for the future, which can also be very attractive, as we have seen with the interest in the Framework recently tested on Digital.

There is, finally, one thing on which Acer is absolutely right in its presentations: the manufacturers, since they are at the heart of the ecosystem, have a direct link with the suppliers of materials, cards and electronic chips. They order the assemblers. They design the packaging (90% of that of the Vero 514 Chromebook, made of cardboard, is recycled) and manage their storage and delivery logistics. They therefore have a major role to play in the transformation of the industry. Seeing Google, Intel and Microsoft intervene directly in Acer’s communication media on its ecological ambitions illustrates the fact that efforts will have to be made by everyone, at the same time, to hope to see a more responsible PC industry emerge.

The Acer Chromebook Vero 514 will be marketed in November, starting at €599 including VAT.