Smudo & "The green pioneers"
This race car's design includes a range of biotech components.
We have tried to includes as much bio materials as possible.
We chose a race car, so wecould immediately put its
endurance to test at the Nürburgring.
The word "bio" has this lame Birkenstock ring to it.
But it's actually high-tech that
we are dealing with.
When we talk about renewable raw materials in technology,
people always think we're crawling through the bushes,
counting bugs.
But that's not what it is about it all.
The body parts are especially fascinating to me,
because they are hand-made.
There are no large machines for serial manufacturing yet.
That's what makes each year so exciting.
So far we have had three bio concept cars.
Currently we are driving a Scirocco.
I have never been to a car race.
I'm anxious to see what it's like and if the car can take the strain,
which is the main issue.
I want to see if our materials really live up to their promise.
The bio fibre parts provided by the institute play an important part.
The spoiler e.g. is crucial for the car's aerodynamics.
But they are also very light, like carbon fibre.
We replaced the hood, doors, actually everything allowed by regulations.
That reduced the car's weight substantially.
Tahnks to these parts it was easy to meet
the minimum weight required by regulations.
What's interesting is that what we do
does not seem to match at first,
like "alcohol-free" and "beer",
or indeed "bio" and "car racing".
We don't have to wait 20 years for this technology to bear fruit.
Its application takes place and can be seen in real life today.
People need transportation.
Therefore, it makes sense to think about sustainable,
lasting and somewhat environmentally friendly solutions.