PHOTO: Noah - the world’s first car with structural parts all made from natural and bio-based materials

LIGHTWEIGHT and tiny, the world’s first car with structural parts all made from natural and bio-based materials — no metal or traditional plastic were used in the car chassis and bodywork — was unveiled in July at the Technical University of Eindhoven by the team of students who designed it.

Dubbed ‘Noah’, the city car features two seats and a spacious trunk. With structural parts made from sandwich panels based on natural fiber — flax — and Total Corbion polylactic acid, using renewably-sourced high-heat Luminy PLA grades, the car is strong, but weighs in at only 360kg. By comparison, the two-seat Smart car weighs about 907kg.

Noah is battery powered with a maximum range of 240km and has a top speed of 110km/h. All parts are recyclable. Noah is currently undertaking a European tour of car manufacturers, suppliers and universities "to inspire others."