Spanish Start-Up Use Plant-based materials To Make Cars

A new Spanish automaker promises to make a splash with models made primarily of bio-sourced materials. Two prototype vehicles have been announced, with structures made partly of plant-based materials. Liux, a Spanish startup, aims to build the most sustainable cars on the market while making them affordable to everyone. Liux intends to reduce not only costs, but also the weight of its cars and the CO2 emissions associated with their production by using entirely bio-sourced materials. The startup already has two models in its lineup: the Geko, a small city car, and the Animal, a sportier model. The Geko has a body made of a biocomposite of flax fibres and biobased resin, offering guaranteed performance and safety on par with competitors, according to Liux.

It has the same dimensions as the Smart EQ fortwo. It has a top speed of 100 km/h and a range of 150 km, despite weighing only 550 kg. The Liux Geko's production is said to reduce carbon emissions by 40% when compared to the market's leading city cars.
The Animal is a small sedan made from 90% recycled or plant-based materials. Biopolymers based on organic fibres and resins are used to make the exterior skin, interiors, and a portion of the chassis. The chassis is aluminium, and the modular battery pack has a range of up to 600 kilometres. In terms of performance, the Animal has 240 hp and can reach a top speed of 200 km/h. Both of these models are designed to be simple to assemble, disassemble, repair, and recycle, with 25% fewer parts than a more traditional model. The body and chassis moulds are all 3D printed, which helps to reduce CO2 emissions.

While no price has been announced for the Geko, various configurations of the Animal begin at €39,000. No release date has been set for either model.

Visitors to the recent Viva Technology trade show in Paris were able to see the structures of these two models in person, with Liux on hand to demonstrate all of its expertise.