Students present the world’s first bio-composite car during Dutch Technology Week

Lina vlasauto TU-Ecomotive

On 17 May students from Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands) presented a car made of bio-composite. The car, ‘Lina’, has been designed and built by a student team of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The special thing about this car is that the chassis, bodywork and the interior of the car are all made of natural materials.

The team wants to show that the car is not only energy-efficient but has also been produced with a view to sustainability. The super-efficient consumption of the city car is down to its low weight of just 300 kilograms. The car is certified by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority as roadworthy and is suitable to carry four people.

TU/ecomotive has used a combination of bio-composite and bio-plastic for the chassis. The honeycomb structure bio-plastic, or PLA, is used as the core material and is manufactured entirely from sugar beet. It is enveloped in bio-composite sheets that have been composed on the basis of flax, a plant that is also grown in the Netherlands. In terms of its strength-weight ratio, the bio-composite is comparable with the familiar fiberglass but manufactured in a sustainable way. The bodywork is also flax-based.

Later this month, the TU/e team will be present at the Shell Eco marathon in London from 25 till 28 May. Finally, the team will be touring the Netherlands.

About the TU/e student teams

Eindhoven University of Technology is a breeding ground for young engineers that tackle societal challenges through combining innovation, technology development and entrepreneurship in student projects. TU/e currently has around ten student teams focusing on energy, health and mobility challenges. Apart from special projects like a solar-powered family car, a bio-composite car and household drones, attention is also focused on sustainable chain processes, the house of the future and new fuels based on formic acid. The student teams also go beyond special projects, leading to startups like the recently launched Amber Mobility, the first rollout of self-driving cars in the city of Eindhoven.