Our first project iteration proved that a small electric vehicle can be built from wood. Starting from a Kyburz donor vehicle, we designed, safety-tested and built two prototypes. The first kept the original metal chassis with a laminated timber shell, reaching 50% wood. The second featured a fully redesigned timber monocoque, including complex curved components, for a chassis made of 85% wood composites. It weighs an estimated 795 kg with batteries and two occupants, and while it is theoretically capable of 120 km/h, it has so far been tested at speeds of up to 80 km/h. Using finite element methods, we verified bending and torsional stiffness against conservative criteria and validated key safety load cases.
