TU Eindhoven student team TU/ecomotive has developed a sustainable electric passenger car that captures more carbon dioxide (CO₂) while driving than it emits. It is a prototype, called Zem, that purifies the air through a special filter. By storing the captured CO₂ and then disposing of it, Zem can contribute to reducing global warming. The students will continue to improve the vehicle in the coming years, with the aim of making it CO2 neutral throughout its life cycle and eventually hitting the road.
Zem — sustainable electric passenger car. Photo courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke.
The transport sector is a major polluter, produce about a quarter of the EU’s total CO2 emissions a few years ago. Passenger cars are responsible for more than 60 percent of these emissions. To reduce these emissions, 35 students designed, developed and built a car that produces fewer or no emissions both during the production process and on the road. In addition, the team strives for optimal reusability of materials in the future.
Large scale
The car can capture 2 kilograms of CO₂ through a special filter at 20,000 travel kilometers per year. That means ten cars can store as much carbon dioxide as an average tree. That may not seem like much, but the overall gain is significant if you were to implement it on a large scale in every passenger car soon, the team says. After all, there are more than one billion passenger cars that drive around the world, which can capture net CO₂ instead of emitting it.
The filter through which the outside air flows is unique: the students are applying for a patent on this innovation. “It is really still a proof-of-concept, but we are already seeing that we can increase the capacity of the filter in the coming years. Capturing CO₂ is a precondition for compensating for emissions during production and recycling,” explains team manager Louise de Laat. TU/ecomotive envisions a future in which the full filter can easily be emptied via the charging station when the car is charging. The car can currently drive 320 kilometers before the filter is full.
CO₂ neutral
Using a life cycle analysis with SimaPro software, it can be determined to what extent the vehicle life cycle – from construction to use and beyond – is CO₂ neutral. Various innovations contribute to this. Think of the 3D printing techniques that the students use. The monocoque and body panels are manufactured via 3D printing, which means that there is almost no residual waste. In addition, the student team prints circular plastics that can be shredded and reused for other projects.
Zem sustainable electric car. Photo courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke, Eindhoven University of Technology.
The electric and sustainable four-wheeler has a sporty look. Not for nothing, say the students, because the car industry is facing a sporting challenge. After all, road transport must be much more sustainable. Nikki Okkels, external relations manager at TU/ecomotive: “We want to stimulate the industry by showing what is already possible. And working together. If 35 students can design, develop and build an almost CO2-neutral car in a year, then there are also opportunities and possibilities for the industry.”
Okkels: “We call on the industry to take up the challenge, and of course we like to think along with them. We have not yet finished developing and want to take major steps in the coming years. We cordially invite car manufacturers to come and take a look.”
Students from Eindhoven University of Technology who developed a passenger car that captures more CO₂ than emissions while driving. Photo courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke, Eindhoven University of Technology.
All images courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke, Eindhoven University of Technology.
It’s time to finally reveal Zem; the car that cleans the air while driving! With Zem we inspire the automotive industry to look at the full life cycle of their cars. We also want to challenge the industry with this concept car, if it is possible for 30 students to make a sustainable car in one year, why isn’t the industry taking major actions? By implementing new technologies, materials and production methods, we reduce emissions and optimize the reusability and recyclability of their car.
TU/ecomotive: Student team from Eindhoven University of Technology that wants to shape the future of sustainable mobility by implementing the most recent innovations in concept cars. Image courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke, Eindhoven University of Technology.
The transport sector is a major polluter, produce about a quarter of the EU’s total CO2 emissions a few years ago. Passenger cars are responsible for more than 60 percent of these emissions. The amount of CO2 produced by passenger cars is the main reason that the students wanted to create a car that not only has low emissions in the production process, but also reduces CO2 emissions while driving. Our long-term ambition is for the car to become completely CO2 neutral in all life stages.
Image courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke, Eindhoven University of Technology.
Sustainable production methods
In production we have worked with a completely new method; additive manufacturing. This method has helped us to create our concept car with the lowest possible CO2 emissions. In collaboration with partners such as CEAD and Royal3D, we have developed the monocoque and the body panels to be fully 3D printable. By 3D printing these parts from Zem, the exact shape that was needed could be printed and there was almost no waste material. Printing these auto parts with circular plastics that can be shredded and reused for other projects contributes even more to our goal of having very low to no CO2 emissions in all life stages.
Capture CO2 while driving
We’re shaking up the industry by purifying the air while driving instead of emitting it, we do this with a technology called “direct air capture”. Direct air extraction is a fairly new method of cleaning the air by trapping CO2 in a filter. We have taken advantage of this innovative technology and implemented it in our car. The idea is very simple: while driving, the air passes through our self-designed filters and the CO2 is captured and stored.
Design for recycling
Among other things, the compatibility of materials, easy separation and the use of additives determine the recyclability of Zem. By designing most parts in our car to be reusable or recyclable, we ensure that the CO2 emissions in Zem’s afterlife are reduced compared to ‘conventional’ cars. Since all these materials and car parts can be used for other purposes and few new materials need to be recycled, this felt like the most sustainable option for us.
recycle carbon black
Since until 1.8 billion tires end up in the global waste stream every year and the very useful carbon black is normally wasted. That’s why we partnered with Black Bear Carbon to implement recycled carbon black back into our car’s refinishing. This circular approach not only solves an important waste management problem, but also drastically reduces the CO2 that is normally emitted during this process.
Bi-directional charging powered by solar panels
Another emerging technology being implemented in Zem is bi-directional charging. The bi-directional charging technology makes it possible for cars to power homes when no renewable energy is currently being generated. You can see Zem as a kind of external battery for your house, which supplies the house with green energy when needed. The bi-directional charging technology is linked to solar panels implemented on the roof of the car. For example, Zem uses both the batteries and the space on the roof to make the vehicle and its environment more sustainable, even when it is not driving.
Image courtesy of Bart van Overbeeke, Eindhoven University of Technology.
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