Jun 24, 2011 | Post by: admin No Comments

Biodegradable car made from rattan and bamboo!

Modern, sleek and down to Earth …

The two-seater Phoenix concept car was built using rattan and bamboo – making it sustainable and biodegradable.

Of course, the design still uses some steel and carbon fibre in key areas, and the motor will be made from metal, but the body at least is all environmentally friendly.

The organic parts are only meant to last several years because that’s the length of time that most people keep a new vehicle for. The team knows the two-seater still needs a lot of refinement, but as a proof-of-concept, it’s pretty stunning. To our eyes, the style is spot-on.

While the metal bodywork of cars certainly can be melted down and recycled, the process requires a lot of energy, and therefore isn’t entirely eco-friendly. Making cars out of easier-to-recycle materials is certainly one approach to the problem, but designers Kenneth Cobonpue and Albrecht Birkner have another idea – cars with sustainably-sourced, biodegradable bodies. To that end, they have created the Phoenix, a full-sized rolling chassis made from rattan and bamboo.

Needless to say, the Phoenix is just a concept, and would no doubt require numerous refinements before it could be considered roadworthy. Cobonpue, however, believes that it represents a future in which vehicles could incorporate skins made from woven organic fibers combined with composite materials.

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