A team of students at the Eindhoven University of Technology has built an electric passenger car prototype that removes and stores carbon dioxide from the air while driving on the road, with the goal of capturing more carbon dioxide than is emitted over the vehicle’s entire life cycle.
This project is the seventh for TU/Ecomotive students, following the Noah concept in 2018 and Luca in 2020. the Zem (EM-07) team was challenged to build an electric vehicle with a net zero carbon footprint.
The team used additive manufacturing techniques to create monocoque and body panels to reduce material waste and produce the lowest possible CO2 emissions, while also utilizing recycled plastics that could be shredded and reused in other projects.
The interior continues to use recycled plastic, while using sustainable materials such as pineapple skin. Polycarbonate is the material of choice for the windows, rather than glass, which the team says is better for the environment. In addition, it is fitted with a modular infotainment system, modular electronics and modular lighting, all of which can be reused in other products.
The Zem is an electric car, which means it emits zero CO2 while driving. Details about the drivetrain are scarce as the project is focused on the car’s carbon footprint and recyclability. According to the team members behind the project, the car is fitted with nine 2.3 kWh modular battery packs, has a 22 kW electric motor, and an old Audi differential – with relatively high gear ratios to increase torque.
In addition, regenerative braking has been included to extract more energy from the batteries, and photovoltaic cells have been incorporated into the upper surface to extend the range. Bi-directional charging has also been incorporated, in addition to digital mirrors to reduce air resistance.
What looks like a fairly standard grille in the front actually flows into direct air capture technology, thereby brushing the air as the vehicle moves. The team claims that up to 2 kilograms of CO2 can be removed while driving 20,600 kilometers per year at about 60 km/h. While this in itself is not a big deal, if the technology is rolled out to millions of vehicles worldwide, it has the potential to make a real contribution to decarbonization efforts.
Zem’s filter will currently fill up after 320 kilometers. This filter can be cleaned using green energy, and when the EV is filled with water at a charging station, the captured CO2 can be stored in a tank and then reused to capture the next batch.
It’s really still a proof of concept, but we can already see that we will be able to increase the capacity of the filter in the coming years,” said team manager Louise de Laat. Capturing CO2 is a prerequisite to compensate for the emissions from the production and recycling process.”
The students also studied Zem at the end of its useful life, with a view to reusing or recycling the car and its components as much as possible.
The team members and Zem will travel to the United States in August to visit universities and companies and hope that the concept will inspire others to take on the challenge of continuing to improve the concept and move toward zero carbon emissions.
Nikki Okkels, external relations manager for the team, said, “We want to get the industry interested by showing the possibilities that already exist. If 35 students can design, develop and build an almost carbon-neutral car in one year, then there are opportunities and possibilities for the industry as well.”
“We’re calling on the industry to take up the challenge, and of course we’re happy to think with them,” Okkels continued, “We’re not done developing yet either, and we hope to take some big steps in the next few years. We warmly invite automakers to take a look.”
