by Domenick Yoney (RSS feed)
Motive Industries has announced that they will unveil Canada’s first bio-composite-bodied electric car this September at the EV 2010 VĂ Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver. Dubbed the Kestrel, the four-passenger compact forgoes some of the traditional fibers used in composites for a green car (*ahem*) technology that is renewable â hemp.
The bio material is derived from hemp mats produced by Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF), which gets its stash from Vegreville, Alberta (industrial hemp, i.e., Cannabis sativa L, is legally grown in Canada under license from Health Canada and must contain less than 0.3 percent THC). As well as having the impact resistance of fiberglass composites, the hemp version has the added bonuses of being lighter and cheaper â two important qualities for battery-powered vehicles.
Engineered for a program called Project Eve that helps Canadian firms produce electric vehicles and components, the Darren McKeage-designed cannabis car will undergo prototyping and testing later this month. Hit the jump for Calgary News broadcast discussing the new composite, including footage with company president Nathan Armstrong.
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/08/20/going-to-pot-motive-to-unveil-cannabis-composite-kestrel-w-vid/