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Innovating in the Netherlands
Eindhoven students present a car that captures more CO2 than it emits
Students at the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed and built an electric passenger car that uses a special filter to capture more carbon dioxide (CO2) than the car emits. The students will continue to improve the vehicle to make it carbon-neutral from production to recycling.
The car, developed and built by students at the Eindhoven University of Technology, was initially named Zem.
The main feature of this vehicle is that it can capture 2 kilograms of CO2 through a special filter at 20,000 travel miles per year. The student team is in the process of applying for a patent for their filter.
According to its creators, ten of these cars can store as much CO2 as an average tree. "That may not sound like much, but the overall payoff is significant if you were soon to be implemented on a large scale in every passenger car," said the students. "After all, there are more than a billion passenger cars on the road worldwide."
The team believes that their filter can change the world. "It really is still a proof-of-concept, but we can already see that we will be able to increase the capacity of the filter in the coming years. CO2 capture is a prerequisite for offsetting emissions during production and recycling," said Louise de Laat, the team leader.
The students hope their car will encourage the transport sector to become more sustainable. "We want to draw the attention of the industry by showing what is already possible," said Nikko Okkels of TU/ecomotive. "If 35 students can design, develop, and build a near carbon-neutral car in one year, then there are also opportunities and possibilities for the industry."
Before developing this car, another group of students also from the Eindhoven University of Technology, designed and produced the world's first solar car: Lightyear.
The Lightyear prototype proved so successful that the first commercial production of the vehicle is now expected to be available for sale as early as December 2022.
"A bright and innovative era for electric driving is dawning, and solar electric vehicles (SEVs) are at the forefront. By harnessing the sun's energy, SEVs drastically reduce the vehicles' dependence on the electricity grid," said the young Dutch innovators.
"However, despite common assumptions, SEVs are not powered solely by the sun. They are essentially electric vehicles, with the crucial ability to recharge their battery with solar energy between conventional charges," the developers warn.
Their biggest advantage is that "they can run for months without being charged and keep the electricity to dramatically reduce the strain on the electrical grid" they claim.
If you would like to receive more information from us or to get in touch with the developers, do not hesitate to contact us: tracks2innovationnewsletter@gmail.com
At TRACKS, our job is to connect ideas to promote projects that become Innovation Environments with Social Emphasis.
Sources:
Eindhoven students present car that captures more CO2 than it emits | NL Times