On 17 May, the TU/Ecomotive team (sponsored by EconCore) unveiled their fourth concept car: Lina!

Lina is the world's first car made from bio composites. TU/Ecomotive utilizes a combination of bio-based composites and bioplastics to create their chassis. The bio-based composite is made from flax, a plant that can be grown in the any moderate climate. The bio-composite has a strength/weight ratio similar to glass fibre, but is manufactured in a sustainable manner. A honeycomb shaped core from EconCore is produced from the bioplastic “PLA” (Polylactic Acid) from Natureworks, which is made entirely from sugar beets and is 100% biodegradable. The PLA honeycomb core is placed in-between two flax composite sheets to provide stiffness to the strong composite.

Lina will drastically reduce the carbon footprint compared to other lightweight materials used in the industry at the moment. The drivetrain of Lina is electric. Power is supplied by modular battery packs, giving a power output of 8kW using 2 DC‐motors. This allows Lina to reach a top speed of 80 km/h. To complement Lina’s sustainability, she is equipped with several High‐Tech features. NFC technology implemented in her doors is used to detect and recognize different users, which makes Lina highly suited for car‐sharing platforms.

Lina can be seen during the Shell Eco‐marathon 2017, held from the 25th to the 28th of May in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. From the 5th of June Lina will tour the Netherlands in an attempt to raise awareness for the problem it tries to solve.

Read more about Lina here: http://tuecomotive.nl/themes/tueco/assets/Press_release_tuecomotive.pdf