- The students of the Eindhoven University of Technology have designed an air purifying car named Zem.
- The car can absorb carbon dioxide from the air and generates less of it while driving thus causing zero pollution.
- Zem is an example of how the automotive industry can work to promote sustainable production and environmental protection.
The students of the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have achieved an incredible feat.
The goal of the seventh Ecomotive team was to reduce the CO2 emissions during all life phases of production, driving, and after-life. The team has successfully developed an electric passenger car that can purify the polluted environment by absorbing in and henceforth purifying more carbon dioxide than it emits while driving.
Students have cleverly decided to name the prototype model of this car Zem, a name which translates to Earth or ground. It looks to be a fitting name for an environmentally friendly car.
The key to sustainable production
One of the most innovative technologies implemented in Zem is the direct air capture technology (DAC). When the car is driving, air will move through our self-designed filters, where the CO2 will be captured and stored.
To showcase the low emissions of Zem, a life cycle analysis (LCA) was performed. In these LCA calculations, all three life phases were taken into account.
Zem also has some other qualities which make it such a revelation in today’s world which is in dire need of environmental remedies to save the future.
The key factor is the method behind the production of Zem known as additive manufacturing. This method enables the developer to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a great margin.
In addition to that, the body panels of Zem were 3-d printed. The students of TU Eindhoven collaborated with partners such as Royal3Dand CEAD to print the body panels and other parts.
In this manner, the waste material was reduced to almost zero which in itself is a huge phenomenon in our pursuit of saving the environment. A major challenge any industry faces is regarding the waste it produces. If that aspect is solved then not only the industry gains monetarily but also the environment gets protected and we will promote sustainability.
Impact of the present transport sector on the environment
The impact of the current load of the transport sector on our already fragile environment is immense because it’s a major user of energy and burns most of the world’s petroleum, a scarce natural resource.
Air is further also harmed by the emission of nitrous oxides and different particulate matter generated in the process of firing engines.
The transport sector is also a major contributor to global warming due to the emission of carbon dioxide. Among the different forms of transport, cars, in particular, constitute the biggest chunk of polluters.
Almost 40 per cent of the pollution caused by the transport industry is done by various big and small passenger cars. The increasing number of private vehicles is also a factor behind cars being so harmful to the environment.
In such a condition, cars like Zem can have a major effect on our environment by storing the carbon dioxide and then disposing of it later. The students of TU Eindhoven have claimed that they will continue to work on this model and better it in the upcoming years. They aim to make it carbon neutral for its entire life span and eventually hit the roads.
At the brink of sustainable production
It has already been established that Zem can help repair the damage caused to the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide.
The automobile industry is heading towards a major revolution with the onset of Zem. If a team of students can build such an environmentally friendly car then the major automobile-producing giants can reach even greater heights with newer sustainable technology and an unlimited fund purse.
In 2030, Europe should have reduced its CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 1990. In 2050, Europe should be the first climate-neutral continent. With TU/Ecomotive, we give a great example of how it can also be done within the automobile industry and we show the possibilities of how these sustainability goals can be achieved.
