Meet ZEDU-1, an electric car that aims to heal more than it harms

Two companies, DLR and HWA, have presented the ZEDU-1, an electric vehicle concept that takes the idea of being environmentally friendly to the next level.

The design study has multiple interesting features. For one, it comes with sealed wheel arches that prevent its tires from wearing out excessively. For another, it utilizes a multi-rotor brake system submerged in an oil bath that does not degrade its efficiency, but captures any small particles of brake disc residue, preventing them from polluting the environment. A similar process occurs in the sealed arches, where a special filter soaks in the rubber particles that would otherwise be ejected into the air.

The prototype will celebrate its live debut on October 21, after which work on it will continue.

For reference, car tire residue accounts to 25% of the worldwide microplastic waste pollution. During the rain, these tiny shreds of rubber get into the water circulation and eventually spread wherever the water flows. Minuscule particles from worn brake pads and rotors pose a similar threat: their dust has been detected in human lungs and blood.