TU Eindhoven student team, TU/ecomotive, announced that they have developed an electric passenger car that cleans the air while driving. Called Zem, the prototype car purifies the air while driving instead of emitting through the use of a technology called “Direct air capturing.” 

The transport sector is responsible for producing about a quarter of the EU’s total CO2 emissions a few years ago. It is primarily due to passenger cars as they contribute more than 60 per cent of these emissions. 

This inspired a group of 30 students who wanted to create a car that not only has low emissions in the production process, but also reduces CO2 emissions while driving. 

According to TU/ecomotive, Direct air capture is a new method of cleaning air by capturing CO2 in a filter.

“We have made use of this innovative technology and implemented this in our car. The idea is very simple – while driving, air will move through our self-designed filters, and the CO2 will be captured and stored,” says the company. 

The car can capture 2 kilograms of CO2 through a special filter at 20,000 travel miles per year. The students are in the process of applying for a patent for this innovation.

“It is 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. Capturing CO₂ is a prerequisite for compensating for emissions during production and recycling,” explains team manager Louise de Laat.

Recyclable aspects

The compatibility of materials, easy separation, and the use of additives make Zem easily recyclable. CO2 emissions in the after-life of Zem are lower in comparison to conventional cars, claims the team. 

“Since all these materials and car parts can be used for other purposes and very little new materials has to get into the cycle, this felt like the most sustainable option for us,” says TU/ecomotive. 

Around 1.8B of tires enters the global waste stream every year and the entire carbon black is wasted. The team has partnered with a Utrecht-based startup, Black Bear Carbon, to implement recycled carbon black back into refinishing of its car. 

“This circular approach not only solves an important waste management problem but also drastically reduces the CO2 that is normally emitted during this process,” the team notes.