ECOSHELL - Development of new light high-performance environmentally benign composites made of bio-materials and bio-resins for electric car application
Overview
Background & policy context:
The ECOSHELL project concerned the development of optimal structural solutions for super light electric vehicles (category L6 and L7e), decreasing its environmental footprint and using an innovative, bio-composite material for the vehicle body.
Traditionally, this category of urban vehicles has been relatively expensive and lacking of sufficient security measures compared to classic vehicles (category m1n1), and consequently they have been less attractive for popular use. However, a car-body lighter than 100Kg will allow electric vehicles to have acceptable performances at an affordable price, due to lower engine power and lower energy consummation.
Objectives:
ECOSHELL's aim was handling the first two major drawbacks (production cost and safety) of super light electric vehicles while further improving the associated environmental advantages via the application of innovative biodegradable materials for the vehicle body.
Methodology:
The ECOSHELL partners worked on:
- The material: finding the best material for such application (natural fiber, resin, glue);
- The structural parts: defining the optimum geometry and body architecture, and the optimum shape of the different parts;
- The vehicle: defining the optimum shape and architecture. The work was carried out through three sub-projects:
- 'Manufacturing': Manufacturing the material, manufacturing and assembling the parts of the body and assembling the car.
- 'Life cycle': Finding materials whose properties are in accordance with the vehicle life cycle, defining the parts of the body responding to the constraints of the vehicle life cycle and defining the vehicle, testing it against torsion, flexion and crash.
- 'End of life': defining the end of life for the material, the structural parts, and the car (disassembly).
ECOSHELL stood out as an innovative project compared to related activities mostly concerned with the improvement of production and weight of small size vehicles.
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