Formula E team, Envision Racing, today revealed a full-scale, drivable Formula E Gen3 'Recover-E' car made entirely out of electronic waste. The project was completed in an attempt to highlight the global issues faced with e-waste and the impact it's having on our environment and climate.
Envision Racing have partnered with British artist & designer Liam Hopkins to design and build this one of a kind race car. The entire chassis, including all the aerodynamic features you would see on the normal Gen3 Formula E car, is made entirely of donated electronic products by the UK tech business, Music Magpie and school children.
Liam Hopkins, also known as LAZERIAN, is an acclaimed artist and designer with a passion for sustainability. His eco-friendly projects have been shown in renowned exhibitions across the globe, as Liam aspires to educate people on the importance of sustainability.
The campaign aims to increase awareness of the human impact of e-waste and promoting the urgent need to reuse and recycle old electrical products. The car was built using a mixture of different electronic products & components, from disused iPhones & laptops making up the front wing, to video game controllers working together to shape the halo. While the car can drive, for the sake of doubt, it will of course not be raced.
"Unfortunately today we choose to discard and replace electronics instead of repairing and recycling them leading to a global e-waste crisis. Through design and creativity, we want to show the issue of e-waste and its potential to accelerate the creation of a circular economy" - Liam Hopkins
The facts are quite staggering, with annual e-waste production being on track to reach nearly 75 million tonnes by 2030, with the UK unfortunately generating the second largest amount of e-waste globally as a country in 2022.
The car was unvailed at London's ExCeL on the eve of the 2023 London E-Prix.
"Alongside testing new battery technology for cars, we are on a mission to tackle e-waste and ensure the precious metals, minerals and materials in old laptops, mobile phones and other electrical devices are extracted and reused." - Sylvain Filippi, Envision Racing's Managing Director & Chief Technical Officer
Envision Racing are pioneering their drive to encourage sustainability, being a racing team with that passion running through its DNA with it's sole purpose of inspiring generations to take action to tackle climate change. Alongside the car, the team have launched the 'Recover E Waste to Race' competition to encourage young people and fans around the world to create their own e-waste car. Winners of the competition in three categories included 10 year olds Edie Griffin, Chidubem Ngene, Liam Mount, Nora Popoola and Olivia Ho from Abbott Community Primary School in the UK, as well as the 14 year olds Monteor Popocatl & Angelica Mirian from Mexican and Hera May, 17, from the Philippines!