The sporty fully electric car from the Netherlands resembles a BMW coupé, but is unique: it captures more carbon than it emits.
“Our end goal is to create a more sustainable future,” says Jens Lahaije, financial manager for TU/ecomotive, the student team at Eindhoven University of Technology that made the car.
The two-seater, called ZEM, for zero-emission mobility, houses a Cleantron lithium-ion battery pack, and most parts are 3D printed from recycled plastics, Lahaije said.
The goal is to minimize carbon dioxide emissions throughout the car’s lifetime, from production to recycling, he added.
Battery-powered electric vehicles emit virtually no CO2 when in use compared to combustion engine vehicles, but battery cell production can cause so much pollution that EVs can travel tens of thousands of miles to reach “carbon parity” with comparable fossil fuel models.
ZEM uses two filters that can capture up to 2 kilograms (4.41 lb) of CO2 over 20,000 miles of driving, the Eindhoven team estimates. They envision a future where filters can be emptied at charging stations.
The students show their vehicle during an American promotional tour of universities and companies from the East Coast to Silicon Valley.
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