Recycling is a practice that, to a greater or lesser extent, we all carry out in our daily lives at home. Classifying waste based on its composition and using it to make other products or as raw material is something we have become accustomed to for years.
The same is true in the industrial world where there are more and more companies that base their production process on the circular economy. The use of recycled material for the manufacture of certain components has the double objective of lowering costs and contributing a small grain of sand in favor of sustainability.
The automotive industry is no stranger to this system of use of matter. Components made from recycled material are increasingly present in car equipment. We see it above all in the material used to make the upholstery of the seats. At Moveo we have echoed various initiatives by brands in which leather of animal origin has been replaced by other alternative recycled materials with similar properties.
However, other initiatives, such as the one carried out by the young Spanish startup Liux, still go a little further. The company created in 2021 in Santa Pola (Alicante) seeks to revolutionize the future of sustainable mobility with the launch of the first electric cars of vegetable origin in history.
Liux has presented its two prototypes, the Animal and the Geko, two cars that are very different from each other but that have one characteristic in common: both are made of plant materials. In addition to being an unprecedented sustainable initiative, this circumstance will also facilitate its recycling at the end of its useful life.
The two models are still in the prototype phase and production is scheduled to begin in 2024, although the company's managers do not work on a specific date. The Animal is a 4.65 meter long car with a constant power of 150 CV and a range of 600 kilometres. Its starting price of 39,000 euros and it is now possible to join the waiting list by paying a deposit of 200 euros.
The Geko, on the other hand, is a two-seater quadricycle with just 20 HP of power and a range of 150 kilometers. Much less sophisticated in all aspects than its 'big brother', it will be marketed for less than 20,000 euros.
However, the two models share their vegan origin. The bodywork of both cars is made with elements created from natural fibers found in plants. The manufacture of the body and part of the chassis with a biocomposite based on flax fiber allows the weight of the cars to be substantially reduced, a detail that is no less in electric motors.
Liux's priority is to start with the Geko, which has been listed by the company as the "world's most sustainable" electric car. It weighs just 550 kilograms and part of the structure is made of flax fiber and biobased resin, which according to those responsible "offers exceptional mechanical performance and safety."
Through design, Liux engineers have managed to reduce the complexity and the number of parts and materials of the Geko. The quadricycle weighs only 550 kg, 50% less than the leading urban vehicle on the market, they say from the Valencian Community startup.
Likewise, the body and chassis molds are manufactured directly in 3D printing, which translates into a faster and more sustainable process that reduces manufacturing time, weight, the amount of energy and CO2 emissions.
