University Students Build Electric Car Almost Entirely From Recycled Plastic And Trash

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Students in The Netherlands have taken the challenge of making cars more environmentally friendly to a whole new level.

Introducing "Luca," a bright yellow, sporty, fully functioning electric car built by a team of students at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) almost entirely out of recycled waste.

"This car is very special because it's made all out of waste. So, we use all different kinds of waste and also recycled waste," project manager Lisa van Etten told CBS News.

Luca's frame is made from plant materials and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The body is made of hard plastics normally found in televisions, toys and kitchen appliances. The students used coconut fiber and horse hairs for the seats.

The only parts of car that aren't recycled are the tires, steering wheel, windshield and electronics. It took about a year and a half for the students to put together the one-of-a-kind vehicle together.

"Nobody has ever built a car before so it's very difficult, of course," says Van Etten.

The two-seater can reach a top speed of 56 miles per hour and can go 136 miles when fully charged. But the TU/ecomotive student team says what really drives them goes far beyond speed, distance and class credit.

"We really hope that other car companies, other companies, start using waste materials because we really want to show that it's possible in many applications," student Matthijs Van Wijk said.