BASF and Floatility have partnered for the development of an ultra-lightweight and solar-powered electric scooter.
30 Mar 2015 | 5059 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
BASF and Floatility have partnered for the development of an ultra-lightweight and solar-powered electric scooter. Weighing less than 12 kilograms and consisting of more than 80% composite and plastic materials from BASF, the scooter will give commuters the sensation of floating and has been aptly named ‘e-floater’.
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BASF and Floatility have partnered for the development of an ultra-lightweight and solar-powered electric scooter. Weighing less than 12 kilograms and consisting of more than 80% composite and plastic materials from BASF, the scooter will give commuters the sensation of floating and has been aptly named ‘e-floater’.
“This is a perfect example of how we cooperate with our partners to fully unfold the strengths of our innovative materials. The e-floater combines stability, durability and safety with an exciting, functional design,” said Andy Postlethwaite, senior vice-president, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.
BASF will provide versatile plastic materials and support the project with its extensive development capabilities. Moulding multiple parts to create complex shapes with plastic materials enables design freedom and the streamlined construction of the ‘e-floater’. Various grades of glass fibre reinforced Ultramid (Polyamide) will be used for most of the e-floater’s structure: While the mineral-filled Ultramid B3M6 is used for the parts where low warpage is crucial, the impact modified Ultramid B3ZG8 combines toughness and stiffness in a way that is favorable for structural parts that have to resist crash-loads. The surface-improved Ultramid B3G10 SI offers high surface quality to the parts despite its high fibre content. The reinforcement for front body and deck will be made with the new Ultracom composite materials to ensure stability.
Together with Ultralaminate B3WG13, a thermoplastic laminate and the adapted overmoulding compound Ultramid B3WG12 COM, BASF also offers its processing and designing support for the development of continuous fibre reinforced parts. Tyres and handlebars made with BASF’s TPU Elastollan will provide a good grip and smooth floating.
Oliver Risse, founder and CEO of Floatility, added, “The cooperation with BASF enables us to develop a state-of-the-art short distance urban mobility solution to provide mobility-on-demand for the future. In this way the e-floater will play a key role in making short journeys more convenient, quick, affordable and sustainable.” This bridges the gap on the last mile between home or city center and the nearest public transport.