Lightweight and tiny, the world's first car with structural parts all made from natural and bio-based materials — no metal or traditional plastics were used in the car chassis and bodywork — was unveiled earlier this month at the Technical University of Eindhoven by the team of students who designed it.
Dubbed Noah, the city car features two seats and a spacious trunk. With structural parts made from sandwich panels based on natural fiber — flax — and Total Corbion polylactic acid, using renewably-sourced high-heat Luminy PLA grades, the car is strong, but weighs in at only 360 kilograms, or a little less than 800 pounds. By comparison, the two-seat Smart car weighs about 2,000 pounds.
Noah is battery powered with a maximum range of 240 kilometers and has a top speed of 110 km per hour. All parts are recyclable.
Total Corbion PLA is pleased with the achievement. ‘Noah is the proof that PLA is suitable for so much more than packaging,' said Senior Marketing Director François de Bie.
Noah is currently undertaking a European tour of car manufacturers, suppliers and universities "to inspire others."