Historic racing may not be the most obvious place to roll out a host of sustainable technologies, but that is exactly what Lola has done with its new T70S.
Despite having a full FIA Historic Technical Passport, and being identical in construction to the Lola T70 Mk3B, the T70S boasts a carbon footprint nearly 50% lower than previous iterations of the 60’s sports racing car. Impressively, this has been achieved while staying within all the FIA’s requirements for historic racecars.
Two main areas have contributed to the significant reduction, a new 100% sustainable composite system for the bodywork and the implementation of a low-emissions process for the production of magnesium parts.
Starting with the composite system, known as the Lola Natural Composite System (LNCS), this uses flax fibres encased in basalt with a plant-based resin. By combining flax and basalt the mechanical properties of the fibres are improved beyond current flax-only systems, with a significantly lower CO2 footprint than either carbon composites or the glass fibre used for the original T70 body panels. Furthermore, Lola has also improved the sustainability credentials of the tooling patterns for the bodywork by using bio-based materials.
Looking to the metallic elements of the car, magnesium was identified as an area where considerable savings could be made compared to the commonly sued, high-energy intensity Pigeon process for smelting aluminium. Working with supply chain partners, Lola has developed a process for magnesium production using the byproduct salts of Bromine production from saltwater, via electrolysis powered by solar energy. This sees the kgCO2e for the magnesium parts of the car reduced from nearly 5000kg to just 975kg.
Look out for a full, in-depth feature on the T70S in the upcoming issue of PMW magazine, and a sneak preview of the road going version, the T70 S GT.
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