A teaser image of the Kestrel.
(Credit: Motive Industries)
Motive Industries, an automotive design firm in Canada, is developing the most literal of green vehicles–an electric car with a chassis made from cannabis.
The body of the Kestrel, a four-seat electric vehicle, is engineered using impact-resistant biocomposite derived from Canadian grown and manufactured hemp mats.
Its construction takes enviromentally friendly engineering one step further–the hemp fibers in the composite keep the body weight low, which reduces the energy needed to propel the vehicle while offering a renewable alternative to composites derived from petrochemicals. Aptera, a California-based EV start-up, uses silica-based fabric for its composite material that is impossible to dent with a sledgehammer, according to the manufacturer.
Prototyping and testing on the Kestrel will take place later this month. Motive’s goal is to achieve a reduction in weight while maintaining the same mechanical properties as the car’s glass-based counterpart. More information about the zero-emission Kestrel will be released in September at the 2010 VE Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver.
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