BE.E SCOOTER | ELECTRIC SCOOTER MADE OF HEMP

Be.e Electric Scooter is a joint project completed by InHolland, NPSP Composites, van.eko and Dutch designers Waarmakers. It is in fact made of flax, hemp and bio-resin, however impossible this might sound. It features a monocoque body made of natural composites that are a result of a shift from glass-fiber composites to flax (mixed with bio-resin)-fiber composites.

The Be.e scooter packs a 4kW electric motor that can make it run up to 55 km/h which is 34 mph – just about enough for short city runs that scooters are meant to be used for.

The range of this vehicle, provided by the 48 V/40 Ah battery, runs from 55 km to about 90 km, depending on the way you ride it, road conditions and the average speed, but even the shortest option should be enough. The charger is 600 W. It can recharge the scooter fully in less than three hours and it is placed in a lockable storage space is large enough to hide a helmet when it’s not used.

Now, we mentioned the monocoque body. This term actually means that the external frame of an object supports the load, much like an egg shell does. This means that there is no need for an internal frame and numerous other engineering solutions, all of which made this city vehicle lightweight but sturdy. This lightweight feature is what makes the Be.e so efficient. The windscreen has a hydrophobic layer that deflects water and dirt particles.

Could the use of these materials in this industry be a new start that can redefine the way other larger vehicles are made? Maybe not for a while when it comes to larger luxury, or commercial vehicles, but small city buzzers of any kind can only benefit from this approach. watch video below

Video below shows a short test drive of the Be.e Scooter

[via designboom]