Canada’s Kestrel EV to use hemp composite body parts
This coming September, Motive Industries Inc. will introduce its new hemp based bio-composite electric vehicle (EV), the Kestrel. The car will be unveiled at the EV 2010 VE Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver. Using hemp in auto body composites is a way of creating a green and sustainable alternative to composite material currently used in cars.
Motive Industries Inc. is based in Calgary, AB. It designs and develops automotive parts and vehicles. For the Kestrel, Motive Industries worked with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) on the bio-composite. Using Hemp mats produced by AITF and grown in Vegreville, Alberta, Motive Industries developed the bio-composite for the Kestrel’s body.
Bio-composites are used in race cars like formula one racers because they have “strength and safety benefits above steel.” The hemp based bio-composite body of the Kestrel is impact-resistant as well as being light. The reduced weight of the body means better performance for the EV.
Kestrel designer Darren McKeage says – ”electric cars need to be efficient, therefore the Kestrel design had to be simple (minimized part count) and light weight, while still being unique and eye catching.”
The car is currently in the prototype and testing phase. By using hemp in the bio-composite, Motive Industries is hoping to create a composite that has “the same mechanical properties of glass composites.”
According to Dr. John Wolodko at AITF, bio-composites are becoming more popular due to their low cost and light weight. “Natural materials such as hemp can offer a green and sustainable alternative to conventional fibers used in composites.”
This is not the first car to use hemp in its bio-composite body. Lotus has also uses hemp in the body composites and the seats of the Eco Elise.
Hemp that is used in body bio-composites and seat fibers is not marijuana. The hemp plant is a cousin to the marijuana plant but smoking it won’t get you high. It’s use can be traced back to the Stone Age and was legal in the US until 1937, The plant produces strong fibers that are used in construction in the form of Hempcrete and Hemp insulation. The fibers can also be used for paper, bio-composites and durable fabric. You can make ropes from it and use it to purify water as well as use the oil in cosmetics and biofuel.
Today growing industrial hemp is outlawed in the US although it is legally grown in countries around the world. During World War II, the US Department of Agriculture issued licenses to grow hemp because the fibers were needed for uniform fabric and navy ropes. To promote the growth of hemp the USDA had the film Hemp for Victory made. You can watch the film at the end of the article. It provides excellent information on growing hemp as well as on its different uses.
The Kestrel and Eco Elise are showcasing yet more uses for hemp. It’s unfortunate that the US continues to confuse industrial hemp with marijuana. Hemp is a hardy crop that would provide, as the 1937 edition of Popular Mechanics put it, a “New Billion-Dollar Crop.”
Related posts:
September 16th, 2010
[...] Motive stated that one of its design requirements was to create a compact car without skimping on interior space. The placement of the front wheels make the design “very cab forward.” The front doors open so that they are actually in the wheel well making getting in and out easier. The car is expected to maneuver well in tight traffic because of it’s forward cab design and compact front end. VP Design, Darren McKeage states “To design a vehicle with presence I often look to how nature visually communicates a purpose in its purist form. For the Kestrel I wanted to create an image of athleticism and robustness to stand out against a sea of large sedans and SUV’s. I was influenced by animals like grey hounds and sharks that have these barrel chests and narrow waists that communicate strength. I’ve captured that in the design through the wheel arches and upswept form in the rocker area. These features also accentuate the wheels helping create a planted stance.” [...]
September 29th, 2010
[...] composites in vehicles is not a new idea. The Lotus Elise and Motive Kestrel both use hemp composite body parts. Evergreen uses ComposiTek to lighten it’s RV’s and [...]