Introducing ZUV: an e-tricycle 3D printed from waste plastic

EOOS NEXT, a social enterprise/industrial design studio, has developed an electrically powered tricycle commissioned for the Vienna Biennale for Change 2021 for the exhibition CLIMATE CARE.

The design process aimed to create a purely electrically-powered cargo bike that can be produced easily and cost-effectively on the spot. For the exhibition project, they collaborated with the The New Raw production studio in Rotterdam, which produced the chassis from 70 kilograms of recycled plastic by using industrial robots in a 3D printing process.

The know-how of The New Raw allowed for opportunities for digital fabrication offered by the size of the 3D printer and a new, aesthetically sophisticated surface: as the structure of the layers is diagonal, the object can be printed almost without any support material.

For their projects, The New Raw use 100 per cent recycled plastic, which is reprocessed from supermarket plastic waste. The ZUV can be shredded and 3D-reprinted in a local economic cycle. Other key components of the design concept are the additional components needed, such as wheels, electric motor, handlebar and brakes.

To reduce complexity and cost, it is driven from the rear wheel by a hub motor and has no pedals. The ZUV can be used for combined passenger and load transport. Three wheels ensure stable road holding on any surface, be it the grassy country meadow or the muddy city streets.

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Pictures © Studio Theresa Bentz