BIOME, an organic car

Mercedes-Benz is taking "green" technology to a whole new level. Unveiled at the Los Angeles Design Challenge, the Mercedes BIOME is the first concept car to move away from the heavy metal production line and move into the lab. Mercedes-Benz has re-envisioned the one ton steel standard, designing a car made out of a steel-alternative called BioFibre. BioFibre is lighter than metal and plastic yet stronger than steel.

Weighing in at about 876 pounds (397.3 kg), the car would be made by growing a material called BioFibre, an organic material lighter than metal and plastic, yet stronger than steel and would also be entirely biodegradable.  In total, there are six laboratory-designed BioFibre seeds which will grow into the car, and each seed will look like the signature Mercedes-Benz star. 

The interior of the BIOME will spawn from the DNA of the star on the front of the car, and the exterior will germinate from a star on the back of the car.  Each wheel will also be grown by four other seeds. Since BioFibre can be grown in a lab, Mercedes has been toying with the idea of growing its very own car based on the idea of symbiosis. Symbiosis in nature represents seamless efficiency between key players. Out on the road the car emits pure oxygen, and at the end of its lifespan it can be simply composted or used as building material. 

“As the inventor of the motor car, we wanted to illustrate the vision of the perfect vehicle of the future, which is created and functions in complete symbiosis with nature. The Mercedes-Benz BIOME is a natural technology hybrid, and forms part of our earth’s ecosystem. It grows and thrives like the leaves on a tree.” – Hubert Lee, head of the Mercedes-Benz advanced design studios

Cool concept, yes? via LexRobotics