Feb 23, 2018 | By Tess

A team of students from the Eindhoven University of Technology’s TU/ecomotive group has designed a 3D printed concept car that showcases the potentials of automotive evolution and, importantly, sustainable mobility. The concept vehicle, named Noah, was designed in collaboration with Oceanz, a Netherlands-based 3D printing company.

Creating a sustainable concept car has become a yearly tradition at TU/ecomotive, and in recent years 3D printing has come to play a critical role in the conception of the vehicle’s design. This year marks the second time Oceanz has provided its 3D printing support to the student group.

This year’s car, Noah, is a circular two-person car built entirely from recyclable materials. In fact, the car’s chassis, body, and interior are primarily made up of bio-based materials, further ensuring the vehicle’s sustainable nature.

The compact vehicle weighs only 350 kg and runs on electricity. Its top speed is about 100 km/h or 62 mph, and it reportedly has a range of roughly 240 km or 149 miles. (It's therefore the kind of car that would be useful for urban commuting.)

The car’s structure is also worth noting, as the TU Eindhoven students have come up with a design that can be easily disassembled. This means that, when the car is no longer in service, its parts can be taken apart and easily recycled.

TU/ecomotive students holding clay model stand with Frank Elbersen from Oceanz 3D Printing

Notably, the sustainable Noah car integrates a number of parts (both interior and exterior) that are 3D printed from Oceanz’s durable EcoPowder material. The 3D printing company also provided the TU/ecomotive group with a lesson on how to design parts with optimal material usage. This enabled the students to design parts that were not only lightweight and more eco-friendly, but also cheaper than traditionally manufactured parts.

“This meeting was an eye-opener,” said Jonathan Verhaar, a student at TU Eindhoven. “We can make optimal use of the advantages of this technique from design to the final phase. We see a lot of possibilities for sustainability, but also for structure and complex forms.”

Of course, the 3D printed Noah car is still a concept vehicle, so don’t expect to see it driving around town anytime soon. Still, the collaboration between the students and 3D printing company Oceanz did demonstrate how 3D printing can be used to transform automotive design and make it fit into a circular economy.

“3D printing contributes to a very sustainable production technique,” added Frank Elbersen from Oceanz. “In addition to our expertise and possibilities, this is also a project that we would like to grow. With this group of students we are faced with a new era. We like to work with these trendsetters. With their knowledge we will be able to inform our customers further.”

To see more 3D printed cars, check out our list of amazing 3D printed cars & automotive projects from around the world.

 

 

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