What do chocolate, carrots, potatoes, and cashew-nut shells have in common? Formula 3 racing, of course! WorldFirst project, a competitive racing car made using environmentally sustainable components and optimised to run on bio-diesel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil—with zero tailpipe emissions—is definitely gravy for environmentalists.

This project was conceived by James Meredith, Dr Steve Maggs, and Dr Kerry Kirwan, three researchers working at Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (WIMRC) based at the university Warwick, England.

This competitive racing car, which offers a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h) and awe-inspiring acceleration, proves that green autos don’t have to imply a compromise in terms of performance.
Even pundits are calling this an “unmatched feat of green technology;” every component of the vehicle features a ‘green and sustainable’ element thus demonstrating that going ‘green' can apply to the entire vehicle and not just its propulsion system.

Here are some of the featured components:
Steering wheel: derived from carrots and other root vegetables
Seat: Flax fiber shell, soy bean oil foam and recycled polyester fabric
Wing mirrors and Front Wing End Plate: Flax fiber shell over a potato starch core
Engine cover and Damper hatch: Recycled carbon fiber
Lubricants: Made with a plant oil base
Radiators: Coated with a catalyst that converts ozone to oxygen
Brakes: non-carbon discs; the team is working on developing pads made from cashew nut shell

The car will undergo its first track test on May 5th on an undisclosed race track in the UK.
This is great news since new developments in motorsport vehicles usually entail applied technology in the general automotive and passenger transport industry down the line.

My only question is: who is going to kill the chocolate & veggie car?

Keep on clicking!

PDL

© 2009, Pascal-Denis Lussier
Photo: WIMRC
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