In the Netherlands, Eindhoven University of Technology students and their startup, TU/ecomotive, designed a four-seater electric car made of biocomposites and bioplastics meaning it can biodegrade back into the earth after running its course. The EM-04 Lina car offers a sustainable option for the car industry. The biocomposites are made from flax and the bioplastics are made from sugar beets, which help to keep the car very light weight at only 310kg or about 680 pounds. The Lina car runs on battery packs and two DC motors and can reach 50 miles per hour.
TU/ecomotive told BT.com “Car manufacturers opt for lightweight materials such as aluminium and carbon fibre to create lighter, more efficient cars. Processing of these materials however, requires 5 to 6 times more energy than steel, the material which they replace. Consequently, energy that is saved while driving the car is now spent during the production phase.”