Following the precedent set by the F3 WorldFirst prototype, a Spanish company has announced the launch of their Liux, the first 100% made-in-Spain plant-based road car. Its production team includes engineers, designers, architects, mechanics and technology experts headed by the creator of the Bóreas hybrid supercar, David Sancho, and his partner, Antonio Espinosa.
With 100% electric propulsion, it dispenses with aluminium and replaces it with materials based on biopolymers and biocomposites from plant fibres and resins, combined with cutting-edge technological advances. A large part of the vehicle is produced with 3D printing which reduces manufacturing times, CO2 emissions and energy consumption.
Another one of Liux’s innovations is its modular battery system which can not only be removed as individual units or as a whole but are also interchangeable from one Liux to another. The Spanish startup plans to launch a compact, followed by a two-seater city car and a saloon, with 5,000 units in 2023 and 50,000 in 2024.
The F3 WorldFirst was developed by the University of Warwick (UK). Its steering wheel is made with curran, a material derived from carrots set to replace glass and carbon fibre. Its SoyFoam seat is made of SoyFoam, a flexible foam-like material made from soybeans. Potato starch and flax are also used and it runs on biofuel made from waste chocolate and vegetable oil to help propel it up to 233 km/h (145 mph).
