While electric cars may be a greener alternative to their gas-burning counterparts when on the road, their production and distribution still isn't all that eco-friendly. Swedish startup Luvly is out to change that, with its flat-pack recyclable O light urban vehicle.
So first of all, no, the Luvly O is not user-assembled like a piece of Ikea furniture.
Instead, plans call for the car to be shipped in flat-pack form from a main production plant, then assembled by workers at smaller micro-factories in regions where the O will be offered. This arrangement should greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shipping costs, as it will allow a greater number of the vehicles to be shipped at one time.
The O was designed by Joachim Nordwall, who was previously head of design for Swedish hypercar company Koenigsegg.
As such, it incorporates what Luvly calls "slow formula racing tech." That tech includes a strong but lightweight passenger-protecting safety shell made of a polypropylene sandwich material, along with external Energy Absorption Zones that absorb impact energy by crumpling under pressure.
The shell requires no paint or other surface treatments, and is fully recyclable. Additionally, the vehicle is designed in such a way that its various components can easily be swapped in and out as needed.
The whole thing reportedly tips the scales at less than 400 kg (882 lb), not counting its two removable lithium battery packs. Those packs are used one at a time, so one can be charging – at home or at the workplace – while the other is in use.
There's currently no word on the motor, but the O is claimed to have a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) and a range of up to 100 km (62 miles). It seats two people, and offers 267 liters of trunk space. All in all, Luvly claims that as compared to typical electric cars, energy consumption for the production, shipping, and distribution of its vehicle should be up to 80% lower.
We're told that the O will ultimately sell for about €10,000 (~US$10,554). If you're interested in buying one, you can register for updates via the company website.
"Luvly was founded on the belief that the negative aspects of cars – environmental harm, cost, danger to pedestrians and other road-users, space inefficiency – can be mitigated by combining modern technological solutions with futuristic design," says CEO and founder Håkan Lutz.
Source: Luvly
