Sweet Sustainability

In this changing economy it pays to go green and now it might even taste good too.

Lola is a Formula Three racing car developed by students at the University of Warwick in Britain. The car has a top speed of 135 mph and can race from zero to sixty in 2.5 seconds. Under the hood is a 2.0 liter BMW engine, and in the gas tank is leftover chocolate, carrots, potato starch and flax.

Lola also features a radiator that converts ozone back to oxygen and brake pads made from cashews are being developed. One of the car’s designers, Kerry Kirwan says Lola uses materials that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill. Kirwan says the car lets people engage with recycling without the finger wagging.

The car took the team more than nine months to develop and cost around $200,000. Kirwan says the idea was to really put recycled materials to the test by putting them in a truly demanding situation. Green businesses are booming, and a car that is both efficient and edible may just speed past the competition.