E-cars also generate particulate matter through tire and brake abrasion. A prototype shows how this can be prevented.
Nothing less than the world’s most environmentally friendly car was presented by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and car manufacturer HWA in Stuttgart on Wednesday. The prototype, called ZEDU-1 – which stands for Zero Emission Drive Unit Generation 1 – is almost completely emission-free, according to the press release.
Electric vehicles are locally emission-free in terms of the necessary drive energy, but tire and brake abrasion generate particulate matter and microplastics, which are considered harmful to the environment and health. ZEDU-1 has therefore been equipped with a new system that on the one hand recovers braking energy and on the other collects the fine particles in the braking system. The system is completed by a wear-free induction brake that uses a magnetic field to generate braking action.
The project partners have also addressed the problem of tire abrasion by equipping the vehicle with a closed wheel housing that creates a vacuum when the vehicle is driven. Particles are therefore deposited in one place, allowing a fan unit to suck them up and send them through a filter system.
In collaboration with industry, the technology is to be further developed and put into series production. The project was funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg with six million euros.
Photo: DLR, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
