#33 Liux
Making 3D-printed, electric, plant-based cars
Read time: 5 minutes
Hi, I’m Javi Gascón.
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Today we’ll distill a company that’s revolutionizing urban mobility with nature-driven, lightweight, and efficient vehicles: Liux 🇪🇸
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What Problem Does Liux Tackle❓
They tackle several specific problems associated with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and sustainable automotive manufacturing. The main ones being:
1. Battery Durability and Replacement: When a battery pack in a BEV fails, it is often due to a few defective cells, but the entire pack needs to be replaced, which can cost around $20,000.
2. End-of-Life Battery Utilization: At the end of a battery's life, it typically ends up as waste, rather than being repurposed, which is a missed opportunity for sustainable energy storage.
3. Range and Weight: Traditional BEVs often have a single large battery pack, which can be heavy and limit the vehicle's range and efficiency.
4. Environmental Impact: The car industry, particularly light-duty vehicles, accounts for 17% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Noise pollution and the consumption of finite raw materials are also significant concerns.
5. Manufacturing Efficiency and Sustainability: The current manufacturing process is resource-intensive, leading to high CO2 footprints and waste from excess production and material obsolescence.
This shows the need for more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions in the BEV sector.
Product / Service 📦
Liux currently makes the “Geko“ and the “Animal“, EVs designed with a strong focus on sustainability and simplicity. They make the most sustainable cars in the world.
Here’s why that claim is true:
Sustainable Materials: The vehicle is made from biopolymers and biocomposites based on natural fibers and resins, reducing the use of traditional materials by 25%.
3D Printing: The bodywork and chassis molds are produced using 3D printing, which cuts manufacturing times, energy, and CO2 emissions by around 70%.
Efficiency and Lightness: Their cars are designed to be 50% lighter than comparable vehicles and with a reduced number of parts, making them more energy-efficient and increasing their range.
Modular Battery Packs: The cars feature modular and removable battery packs, allowing users to add, remove, replace, or upgrade them. Prepared for easy second-life use and recycling.
All of this leads to a way smaller carbon footprint at a very reasonable price. The Animal is around 39k and the Geko under 20K.
Market 🌐
The sector of light urban electric vehicles has seen significant growth, with over 20% annual growth in the last three years and projected growth of 13% per annum until 2032.
Consumer demand for sustainable and convenient vehicles and regulation incentives will make this sector grow even faster than the average EV sector given the growth of cities and short rides vs long-distance drives.
Other Key Players
Fisker 🇺🇸: EV manufacturer known for its luxury electric cars, such as the Fisker Ocean, focusing on sustainable design and technology.
Polestar 🇸🇪: Premium electric vehicle brand, jointly owned by Volvo and Geely, offering high-performance electric cars with a strong emphasis on sustainability.
Tbh though, they are light years away compared to Liux in terms of their focus on efficiency and carbon footprint.
Founding Story 🦄
Liux was founded in March 2021 by co-founders David Sancho Domingo and Antonio Espinosa de los Monteros.
David has over 10 years of experience in designing and building high performance limited edition EVs that compete in places like 24 Hours of LeMans. Antonio previously created Auara, a sustainable water company that donates 100% of its profits to build water projects in Africa. He’s also a Forbes 30 under 30 and a global reference in impact entrepreneurship.
Both of them motivated by the need for environmental sustainability, developed the concept for their first vehicles, characterized by the use of biopolymers and biocomposites based on natural fibers and resins. 3 years later they have 2 models about to be mass produced.
They have already secured funding and a big mobility player has committed to buying 5K units from them even before production has begun. They’re destined to succeed.
Top Impact Stats 📈
The LIUX GEKO reduces carbon emissions by 40% even when compared to the leading urban electric vehicles in the market.
The LIUX GEKO achieves up to an 80% reduction in carbon footprint compared to a standard internal combustion SUV, considering its entire lifecycle.
The vehicle weighs only 550 kg, which is 50% less than the leading urban vehicle, resulting in significant energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions.
The Animal model also achieves similar results in its category.
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