A Dutch team of students, from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, have created a car that’s almost entirely made out of recycled waste. “With this car, we want to show that waste is a valuable material, even in complex applications like a car,” team member Matthijs van Wijk said in a statement.

The car, nicknamed “Luca,” features an electric powertrain, with two electric motors allowing it to reach a top speed of 90 kmh (56 mph). Since the tiny tw0-seater weighs just under 800 pounds without batteries — about half the weight of a comparable car — its range is a respectable 136 miles.

The chassis of the car is mostly made up of flax fibers mixed with plastic that was fished out of the ocean. The unusual mix of various plastics give the chassis a surprising amount of rigidity — especially when combined with natural fibers. The body is made out of recycled hard plastic with a special film wrap — rather than relying on toxic paint — to give it its racecar-yellow color.

To read the full story, visit https://futurism.com/the-byte/car-recycled-waste.
Author: Victor Tangermann, Futurism
Image: Bart van Overbeeke, Futurism

Sponsor