Formula E Racing Car Is The First To Be Made Entirely Of Electronic Waste
Image via Envision Racing
Driving home the message to handle gadgets with more intent, the British Formula E racing team has pulled back the curtains on a first-of-a-kind car that’s fully crafted from electronic waste.
The Formula E Gen3 Recover-E, designed by artist and designer Liam Hopkins, is completely driveable, serving as a moving example of how unwanted gear can be repurposed for good. The speedy automobile is crafted from old electronics donated by UK tech company Music Magpie and schoolchildren.
Built into the chassis are unusual parts like smartphones, chargers, gaming consoles, laptops, batteries, and even single-use vapes. With an exposed appearance, the Recover-E lays bare the world’s pressing challenges with e-waste.
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Rows of iPhones flank the front wing, offering not just a pop of color but also “a thrilling glimpse into a future where sustainable racing takes the lead,” describes Hopkins.
The car was driven by Aidan Gallagher, an American actor and UNEP Goodwill ambassador, last Thursday at the ExCeL Centre, ahead of the London ePrix championship.
Disposable vapes, mobile phones, MP3 players, laptops, plugs, and batteries are some of the most tossed-out tech products, says Formula E. And with the rising demand for vapes, 1.3 million single-use units are disposed of every week in the UK.
While our obsession with screens is another problem for another day, this vehicle for awareness shows that the habit is painfully tethered to the well-being of the planet. With that, the campaign urges the public to reuse and recycle their forgotten or obsolete electronics instead of throwing them away.
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“If the millions upon millions of Lithium batteries that are found in vapes and other products are recycled, it will dramatically reduce both the need for rare earth mineral mining and the large energy needed to create the batteries from scratch,” notes Sylvain Filippi, Envision Racing’s Managing Director and CTO. “We want to increase awareness of e-waste and help build a ‘circular economy’ where electrical products are reused or recycled, not thrown away.”
Image via Envision Racing
Besides building a full-fledged car made from trash, the team also engaged the imagination of kids and teens to design miniature vehicles using old electronics obtained from their friends and family, making sure there is a lesson that every generation can take away from.
“Through design and creativity, we want to show the issue of e-waste and its potential to accelerate the creation of a circular economy,” Hopkins expresses.
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[via Interesting Engineering and Top Gear, images via various sources]
