Via Inhabitat: Ever imagined driving in an ultra lightweight, solar-powered plastic car? If designer Harsha Ravi has his way, this will be the future of sustainable automobiles. Winning the conveted Young Designer of the Year award, Harsha Ravi has envisioned a release from dependence on fossil fuels with an emphasis on eco-friendly vehicle technologies and cutting back the weight and bulk of today’s gas-guzzlers. Ravi’s concept uses a carbon-neutral, bioplastic body with 12 percent petroleum-based/88 percent corn-based plastic that reduces manufacturing energy 30 percent. And there’s much more - a zinc-air fuel cell, nano-paper battery, airless tires, nanopaints to absorb solar energy while parked to charge its batteries, and woven seat material. This car is lightweight, functional, frugal - the ultimate “tread lightly” automotive feast for the environment-savvy consumer... (view the original posting on Inhabitat)
I think it's a great idea and I completely encourage the designer's forward thinking... although, I do have some doubts as to the practicality of the design in environments as extreme as the Canadian Prairies (hot, dry summers and freezing cold winters). I'd be interested to see how an actual prototype vehicle would perform under conditions that normal vehicles would have to endure on a regular basis. What do you think?
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