Student team builds CO2-eating car Zem

We welcome: Zem. This is a small electric passenger car that has been developed by the TU/ecomotive student team at Eindhoven University of Technology. The big attraction of the Zem is not so much its compact size, its coupé shape or its electric powertrain, but the fact that the car is more than CO2-neutral, according to the clever minds at Eindhoven University of Technology.

According to the bollebozen, Zem has a special filter that captures CO2 from the air while driving so that it can then be removed. Since Zem itself is fully electric, it does not emit anything while driving. With an annual mileage of 20,000 kilometres, the Zem can capture about 2 kilograms of CO2 from the atmosphere. Ten Zems could store as much carbon dioxide as a tree. That is a relatively small yield and the student team itself acknowledges that, but on a large scale such a piece of technology could make a big difference.

The student team, consisting of 35 students, says it wants to further develop the Zem in the coming years. Ultimately, the entire life cycle of the car should also be CO2 neutral and the Zem should even be able to go into production. In their own words, the CO2 filter developed by the students is unique and efforts are now being made to obtain a patent for it. The filter is saturated after 320 kilometers of driving.

Monocoque and the body parts of the Zem, among other things, come from the 3D printer, with the result that there is little residual waste. The material used is also reusable. The student team calls on car manufacturers to focus on the technology used. “We have not yet finished developing ourselves and want to take significant steps in the coming years. We cordially invite car manufacturers to come and take a look. We call on the industry to pick up the gauntlet, and of course we like to think with them along,” writes the student team.

Image: Bart van Overbeeke