A team of students from the Netherlands has developed a small electric sports car.It is powered in part by solar power and is said to be almost entirely recyclable and reusable.It is also equipped with filter technology that can remove carbon dioxide from the air.The team now hopes to convince major car manufacturers of their concepts.He's already looking pretty sharp.With the curved lines, the short wheelbase and the wide wheel arches, the ZEM looks both beefy and quite nimble.He crouches on the tarmac and looks a little like a cross between a Daihatsu Copen and an Audi TT.The two-seater speedster, which made its turns for the first time at the end of July, is powered by a 22-kilowatt electric motor fed by nine 2.3-kilowatt-hour battery packs.The little car is an experimental vehicle.It was developed by the TU Ecomotive student team at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.Making an electric car is a challenge in itself.But the ZEM should be more than that."We had the idea of ​​building a car that is completely CO2-neutral," says Louise de Laat, who heads the TU Ecomotive team.It currently consists of a total of 35 students from all possible disciplines such as electromechanics, design and environmental technology.Planning for the ZEM only started a few months ago in September 2021. "We looked at the different life phases of a car - from production, everyday use to the scrap baler," says Louise de Laat.“We then decided to bring together very different ideas and innovative technologies to reduce the car’s carbon footprint – as much as possible.”Right from the start, the TU Ecomotive team decided to design a compact – and therefore energy-saving – but by no means boring trolley.But a car that looks exciting and arouses emotions."It was definitely a goal to build a stylish vehicle that also attracts attention," says Louise de Laat."That's the only way we'll get the attention that gives us the opportunity to talk about what we're doing." In addition, it was very important to the chief designer Philip van Veelen and his colleagues to also demonstrate that a car can be used by many people not just "a box [is] to get from A to B".The car was created within a few months as a project by a group of students. ©Eindhoven University of Technology/Bart van Overbeeke 1700×729 186 KBThe ambitious design was implemented using modern manufacturing processes.The core of the car consists of a so-called monocoque, which includes the chassis, parts of the chassis and the B-pillar.That and most of the body parts were produced by the students themselves using 3D printing processes.As far as possible, recycled plastic was used, which can later be shredded again and used for other projects.The windscreen and side windows are cut from durable polycarbonate that has been heated and bent into shape.So we have a car that, at the end of its useful life, can be dismantled and its systems reused.For the design of the interior, on the other hand, covers made of Piñatex – a leather substitute made from pineapple leaves – were used.A biodegradable foam from the Dutch start-up Foamplant was used for upholstery and insulation.All electronics consist of individual modules, which should make it easier to replace damaged components cheaply or to use the entire electronics again."So we have a car that can be dismantled at the end of its useful life and whose systems can be reused," explains Louise de Laat."There is almost no waste left over."However, a reusable car was not enough for the students.The car should be able to generate part of the energy needed for the journey itself via solar panels that are placed on the roof and the bonnet – and even serve as an electric charging station for other cars.This is exactly what is already possible with the first vehicles that will soon be on the market.A completely different technique makes the little speedster really special.It is hidden in the radiator grille, which is actually unnecessary for electric cars and runs along under the headlights.This is about technologies and ideas that we can use to make the world a better place.You support constructive journalism instead of arguments and problems!As a 1E9 member you get early access to our content, exclusive newsletters, workshops and events.Above all, you become part of a community of future optimists who learn a lot from each other."I can't explain that in detail," Louise de Laat apologized in conversation.“Because we are still in the middle of the process of applying for a patent.” However, as the developer can reveal, the air intakes are equipped with a special filter material.This can absorb carbon dioxide extremely effectively."By using aerodynamics, we capture the air in this filter," explains Louise de Laat."Once the air is in the filter, it is cleaned of CO2, and when the air is cleaned, it exits the car through an inlet on the side of the car."The ZEM can absorb two kilograms of CO2 with its filters in one year.That's not much, but if every car were equipped with it, it could make a difference.©Eindhoven University of Technology/Bart van Overbeeke 1700×729 232 KBAccording to the team's calculations, the filter can absorb two kilograms of CO2 from the air over a distance of 20,600 kilometers - for comparison: the average German drives 11,230 kilometers a year.According to the Dutch students, that in itself is not much;an average tree can absorb between 20 and 25 kilograms per year.But if millions of vehicles were equipped with this technology, it could well make a difference.In addition, "it is currently only a proof of feasibility," says Louise de Laat.If the concept and material were further explored and refined, it could do a lot more.Automobiles could become mobile carbon dioxide scavengers.This is exactly what the students would like to see.How this can be implemented is therefore “part of our further investigations”, as Louise de Laat states.Anyway, the team has more plans and I have more plans.Due to a tour through the USA where the car is to be shown, work on the project had to be completed much earlier than planned.That's why there are unsightly gaps and unclean corners everywhere on the ZEM.However, the students from TU Ecomotive hope that they will now arouse interest with the car - and be able to convince large car manufacturers of some of their ideas.Because that's exactly what ZEM is all about.Did you like the article?Then we look forward to your support!Join 1E9 or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and spread the word.Thanks!Cover photo: Eindhoven University of Technology/Bart van OverbeekeWas the article helpful to you?Do you have any questions or comments?I am happy if you give me feedback!Powered by Discourse, best experience with JavaScript enabled