ECO-FRIENDLY & SUSTAINABLE AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNS FOR THE ROAD AND THE ENVIRONMENT!
Saturday, October 23, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
Key Points
Every car we've highlighted has broken some design barrier for us, and we hope they do the same for you. From a DIY sustainable café racer-inspired e-bike to a future Lamborghini, these designs relentlessly test the boundaries of the automobile industry while benefiting the environment!The battery pack is located in the centre of the chassis under the interior cabin, and a carbon fibre frame is employed to reduce total weight. CAKE's first custom-built electric off-road motorcycle was debuted in 2018. The Kalk AP (anti-poaching) is now solar-powered. The creative brains at REE have created a flexible platform that can be used to build any car body design. The Eli ZERO is half the price of a normal compact car and 3–10 times more energy efficient.
Advertisement
Engineering has seen an increase in competitive and drool-worthy automotive designs. But it was the sustainable and eco-friendly vehicle category that captivated me! Given how the epidemic changed our way of life and taught us the value of living mindfully, it's time to apply the same concepts to automobiles.
In fact, cars pollute 50% of the world's air! So we put together a compilation of eco-friendly cars! Each car is unique, bringing us something we've never seen or experienced. Every car we've highlighted has broken some design barrier for us, and we hope they do the same for you. From a DIY sustainable café racer-inspired e-bike to a future Lamborghini, these designs relentlessly test the boundaries of the automobile industry while benefiting the environment!
Advertisement
Electric Lamborghini
The battery pack is located in the centre of the chassis under the interior cabin, and a carbon fibre frame is employed to reduce total weight. Inside, this electric Lamborghini has a single-seat arrangement, like fighter jets or racing prototypes. This concept's dynamic steering and integrated HUD give it a futuristic feel. I almost want to check out the paddle shifters.
To charge the powerful ride, simply put the charging hose into the retracting portal placed right beneath the front wheel of this Lamborghini prototype. Unlike some other concepts or prototypes, this one includes a body-colored perforated film on the windshield. Nobody knows how that will effect visibility.
Advertisement
Electraply Wooden e-Bike
Electraply was built by model maker and woodworker Evie Bee, who was inspired by the legendary café racer and scrambler motorcycles of the cycle. Electraply is a wooden e-bike designed by Evie to combine current manufacturing technology with traditional construction skills.
She incorporated these ideas into the design and construction process. And it shows in the end product! Electraply is a plywood-based product with a classic motorbike appearance. The bike is made of layers of sustainably sourced poplar and birch ply.
Advertisement
Höga
While this car appears little, its economical design maximises every available inch. To save money, the car is shipped in reusable boxes, which are then used to return broken items. Like IKEA, Höga is easily constructed by one person in a few hours using basic LEGO-like attachable frame parts.
The Höga is made up of 374 total pieces and 114 individual parts (sounds like a lot, but this is a car!). The vehicle's skateboard base has four independently rotating wheels that may move in any direction for tight places. Höga's A-frame design includes roll cage bars and body panel gaps for added safety.
Advertisement
CAKE electric motorbike
CAKE's first custom-built electric off-road motorcycle was debuted in 2018. Then came the wacky modular bike nicknamed sa, which could be customised to suit individual demands. Now CAKE wants to safeguard African animals from poachers. The Kalk AP (anti-poaching) is now solar-powered.
The clean energy-powered drivetrain produces less noise, causing less disturbance to native wild creatures and poachers on the prowl. The bike can be charged without being connected to the grid, increasing its operational flexibility. This two-wheeler is based on the original Kalk bike that made waves when CAKE debuted. The Kalk AP bike has been developed to withstand severe temperatures and has been sealed to prevent dust damage.
Advertisement
REE
The creative brains at REE have created a flexible platform that can be used to build any car body design. The sophisticated chassis does more than simply steer, brake, and drive thanks to X-by-Wire technology. In addition to the transmission, the modular platform incorporates the powertrain, suspension, and steering components into the wheel arch.
This allows for easy production of sports cars, off-roaders, delivery pods, lorries, and any other vehicle form. A strong chassis for a 4WD with good suspension and tonnes of torque, or a two-wheel-drive warehouse bot with regular suspension and four-wheel steering.
Advertisement
Switch Motorcycle
Switch Motorcycles is a new electric bike company that has recently presented their first product, the eScrambler, which is rather stunning! From custom motorcycle expert Matthew Waddick and designer Michel Riis (former Yamaha Japan Advanced Labs Industrial Designer and former Danish Flat Track champion!) we expect nothing less! Its strong, angular form, reminiscent of flat trackers and classic bikes from the 1970s, or even the Tesla Cybertruck, sets it apart from other thinner electric bikes. It sports 18-inch wheels with thick tyres, KTM forks, and a monoshock in the middle. It boasts a digital display, cruise control, a battery level indicator, integrated GPS tracking, three power modes, and built-in Wi-Fi, which sets it unique.
Advertisement
Eli Electric Vehicles
Small, efficient, clean, and economical micro-EVs are Eli's future personal automobiles. On the one hand, the Eli ZERO is half the price of a normal compact car and 3–10 times more energy efficient. This is the “iPad of Automobiles”, equating cars to laptops, and portraying the Eli ZERO as something just as modern and capable, but in an absurdly small physical factor. Eli Electric Vehicles designers think it offers a new vision of mobility and urban lifestyle that is kinder, engaging, less invasive, and more sustainable.
Advertisement
Airo Automobile
Airo has a state-of-the-art HEPA filtering technology that filters tiny particles from the air it drives through, furthering its ecological credentials. High-efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA filters) are mechanical air filters that remove 0.3-micron air particles. For example, Airo's HEPA filter is situated in the vehicle's undercarriage and filters contaminants from the air. Airo's interior features a flexible arrangement that can be changed to generate multi-functional rooms specifically tailored for today's mobile lifestyle.
Advertisement
Nanocellulose Vehicle
The NCV, or Nanocellulose Vehicle, is a Japanese vehicle with a body built of cellulose nanofiber, or CNF. CNF is unique in that it is made from wood pulp, unlike metal, which can only be recycled. The material is 80% lighter than steel yet 5 times stronger. It's made from wood pulp, a byproduct of forestry and agriculture waste, transforming trash into a substance that can replace metal, plastic, and glass. The Nanocellulose Vehicle is a CNF case study. Scientists believe that using CNF in automotive manufacturing makes cars stronger, lighter, and more CO2-efficient.
Advertisement
SIN CUV (crossover utility vehicle)
The SIN CUV (crossover utility vehicle) seats four passengers with good legroom and has a 160km range, enough to traverse a metropolis twice. The automobile is only 950 kg (with the battery itself weighing 200 kilos). The 20kWh battery is split into two parts: one fixed inside the automobile and one removable and interchangeable. Each wheel has its own 15 kW in-hub motor with 160 Nm of torque, allowing the SIN CUV to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 13 seconds and reach a top speed of 130 km/h.
Advertisement