Lotus makes biofuel concept ride to handle the elements in Antarctica. The Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is intended to be more of a scout vehicle to be used ahead of the larger cargo and passenger vehicles. The CIV is equipped to detect crevasses with radar.

via treehugger.com

British car-maker Lotus has unveiled an environmentally-friendly concept car, which is partly made of marijuana, at the British International Motor Show. The Lotus Eco-Elise (pictured above) sports body panels manufactured entirely from hemp (they’re the brown bits on the roof and bonnet).

You might be excused for thinking that the Lotus designers had dreamt up such a crazy scheme after sampling some of the raw materials. In fact, it seems that the company are on to a good thing. Compared to metal, hemp is a very lightweight material, which helps to improve vehicle performance and promote greater fuel-efficiency. Hemp is also a renewable, lightweight material that absorbs CO2 through photosynthesis. In addition, the particular type of hemp used by Lotus is ethically produced in close proximity to the manufacturing plant, keeping a lid on the emissions made through transportation.

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Cool replica of the Lotus 7 with plenty of horsepower and legendary performance.

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The latest concept car uses a Vauxhall Astra body, housing a three-cylinder 1.5-litre engine integrated with a hybrid drive, and a 12kw electric motor. The car utilizes the three-cylinder combustion engine in parallel to the electric motor, allowing for extra performance and fewer emissions.

Electric-powered fuel and water pumps help cut fuel consumption, and an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head uses fewer components and weight reduction.

This isn’t the first venture into electric by Lotus, having worked with ZAP cars in developing the seven-seat 635bhp electric crossover.

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