Students from Eindhoven University of Technology presented the design of their sixth car. Called Luca, the vehicle is made of flax and recycled plastic from the ocean.

The aim of the design was to incorporate as many materials as possible that would otherwise be thrown away. The chassis will consist of a biocomposite, made of flax and recycled PET and PP straight out of the ocean. The front and rear part of the chassis will be made from recycled aluminium.

The body of the car will be made of a newly developed material, in collaboration with Israeli start-up UBQ. The start-up makes a plastic additive from household waste, which is mixed with recycled PP.

The car has room for two people and is run by two electric motors, powered by a modular battery pack. Luca will also be very efficient because in-wheel motors will be used. This mitigates a lot of losses in the drivetrain. The two electric motors will have a combined power of 15 kW and are powered by 6 modular battery packs. These can be replaced easily by full packs or even more modern batteries with new technology if this is available in the future.

The car needs to be ready in the summer of 2020 for a promotion tour. When Luca is built, the team wants to obtain a license plate for the car. During the test, the car will be judged for reliability and safety. By making Luca road legal, the team wants to show that it is already possible to build realistic cars in a sustainable way.

For earlier cars by students from TU Eindhoven, click here and here.

Images: HOWDO Creative Direction / Keyshot by Luxion