Total Corbion PLA used to create world’s first biobased car

The world’s first biobased car has been successfully designed and built in the Netherlands by the Technical University of Eindhoven.

This is the first time that a car chassis and all bodywork has been made from natural and biobased materials - no metal or traditional plastics were used for the structural parts of the car.

The parts are made up of light and strong sandwich panels, based on natural fibre flax and LuminyPLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA.

The car, named Noah by the TU/ecomotive student team, was designed as a city car and features two seats and a boot.

Noah was revealed earlier this month and is currently undertaking a European tour of car manufacturers, suppliers and universities to inspire others.

In addition to its biobased composition, it is also ultra-light and electrically-powered. Noah reaches a top speed of 110 km p/h and the battery range lasts up to 240 km.

At 360kg, the weight of the car excluding batteries is less than half the weight of comparable production cars. In addition to being biobased, the parts are also recyclable, resulting in a 100 per cent circular car.

The PLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA for use in the car is biobased and recyclable and made from renewable resources, offering a reduced carbon footprint versus many traditional plastics.

High heat LuminyPLA grades were used to construct the car, in order to ensure durability and sufficient heat resistance.

François de Bie, Senior Marketing Director at Total Corbion PLA, commented: “The result of this fantastic project shows just how far biobased materials have come, to produce such a complex product as a car.

“Noah is the proof that PLA is suitable for so much more than packaging. This is the first ever car to feature a fully biobased chassis and body panels. At Total Corbion PLA, we look forward to working together with the entire value chain to bring more high performance, durable and circular applications to market.”