Historic racing may not be the most obvious place to roll out a host of sustainable technologies, but that is exactly what Lola Cars has done with its new T70S.
Despite having a full FIA Historic Technical Passport, the T70S boasts a carbon footprint nearly that is 54% lower than previous iterations of the 60’s sports racing car, according to independent assessments. Impressively, this has been achieved while staying within all the FIA’s requirements for historic race cars.
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.
The composite system, known as the Lola Natural Composite System (LNCS), uses flax fibers encased in basalt with a plant-based resin. By combining flax and basalt the mechanical properties of the fibers are improved beyond current flax-only systems, with a significantly lower CO2 footprint than either carbon composites or the glass fiber 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 material.
Looking to the metallic elements of the car, magnesium was identified as an area where considerable savings could be made compared to the commonly used, high-energy intensity Pidgeon process for smelting aluminum. 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 5,000kg 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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