Dutch students build energy-efficient electric car from biodegradable materials

A team of students from the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands have come up with a fresh, first- of-its-kind invention, an electric vehicle made from biodegradable components. Naming it 'The Lina', the team used a mixture of bioplastics and a bio-based composite, to make the vehicle extremely lightweight.

The student team TU/Ecomotive said that this innovative concept has the mettle to reduce the carbon footprint on drastic levels as compared to several other lightweight components in the present industry. Flax, a special kind of plant that can grow itself in any type of climate, is used along with Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) from NatureWorks, a bioplastic manufacturing company, as a matrix resin, as per a report by Plastics Today.

NPX, an expert in automotive semiconductors in Netherlands, has funded this project. Vice President of NPX Oliver Cottereau in a chat with Hybrid Cars said,

"It is a wish, at the moment, that the automotive industry will explore ways of reducing the use of energy in its products. Of course, it is still an uncertainty because everything has to be rigorously proven in terms of crash testing and other regulatory standards that have to be complied with. Right now we have to continue to push and help innovation and show that we can improve the industry."

The objective of the team was to prove that the car is just not energy efficient but also extremely sustainable. They credit the low weight of the car, which is just a little over 660 pounds, for the energy efficiency. Apart from that, the car is also approved and certified by the Vehicle Authority of Netherlands as roadworthy and it can carry four people without any hassle.

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