Last week, Warwick University in England unveiled its 95% biodegradable race car that runs on chocolate. It has been made entirely of sustainable and renewable materials including vegetables!
The idea of using chocolate as biodiesel is not new as the team that drove across Europe and West Africa on 2007 demonstrated (Journey across Europe to Timbuktu, Chocolate Powered Truck). But the University of Warwick took it many steps further. “While the main focus of car manufacturers has been decreasing engine emissions, the University of Warwick team broadened their vision to include the raw materials used to build the car, as well considering its final disposal” (Chocolate Powered Car). “The project clearly demonstrates that automotive environmentalism can and should be about the whole package” (Chocolate Powered Racing Car…).
Materials:
| steering wheel | carrots |
| seat | flax fiber shell, soy bean and recycled polyester |
| mirrors | potato starch |
| brake pads | ground cashew nut shells |
| body | potato starch, recycled carbon fiber, recycled plastic bottles |
| lubricants | plant oils |
| biodiesel | cocoa butter (a waste product from making chocolate) turned into bio-ethanol and mixed with vegetable oil to make biodiesel |
The car is expected to go 145 mph and 125 mph around corners. It took more than nine months to develop it and the cost was around USD$227,000.
Project Director, James Meredith, said “The WorldFirst project expels the myth that performance needs to be compromised when developing the sustainable motor vehicles of the future” (Chocolate Powered Racing Car…). He also mentioned that the team plans to use similar techniques to build other vehicles, such as road cars and boats (TG Daily).
Will there be enough chocolate waste to power these vehicles?
It seems that the world will need many sources to produce the biodiesel that vehicles being developed will need. This is all very exiting and I can’t wait to see it all unfold.
For more information, watch the video:
May 14, 2009 at 5:51 pm |
Wow! That is a car I could love.
May 18, 2009 at 10:57 pm |
Hey Sara, I love this car too. I am always amazed at the kinds of products that can be created from recycled materials!
When I was reading I did find something interesting.
I never knew that biodiesel could be produced without petroleum. I checked that statement against a biodiesel advocacy group:
http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/faqs/
I wonder how much biodiesel could be produced if every restaurant, school, and college were to recycle their frying oil? If we could use even 10% of those sources we would have a lot cleaner air. This would be a big help for cities where smog is a problem.
I’ve heard stories about people creating biodiesel conversions for diesel powered volkswagen cars. Have any other readers read or heard anything about these?
May 19, 2009 at 10:33 am |
dude, this car is my dream. i wish i could eat nothing but chocolate and run smoothly!
May 19, 2009 at 12:19 pm |
Yes! Lets increase the chocolate consumption! Yummy…
On the serious side… I am surprised on the performance. Great job on that!
Although got to be careful when people get hungry and start munching on the steering wheel…
May 19, 2009 at 8:54 pm |
I agree with Christine for sure! And really this is amazing-I too am surprised by the performance. The cost would be an issue for me.
And if I got hungry I would go straight for the chocolate.
May 20, 2009 at 9:19 am |
And just think, if they get lost they can eat the car to survive.
Very interesting info. thanks for sharing.
May 28, 2009 at 3:57 pm |
Interesting idea, but could it be powered on something that not so many people like to eat, like banana peels (just like in the movie Back to the Future!). At least it’s a creative thought that will inspire other creative thoughts