Catecar fights against climate change with Dragonfly vehicle
Aeroplanes are polluters, but the businesses that support them can do a lot to offset that. Henri-Philippe Sambuc, CEO of Catecar, explains how his company’s latest electric vehicle is just one example of this
Airports such as Geneva have shown their commitment to curbing climate change by investing in innovative products such as the Dragonfly electric car
Airports, especially city airports, are prodigious business centres, close to millions of people around the world. Hundreds of companies and thousands of workers make airports work, day after day. By showing their capacity to support, promote and spread innovation that encourages environmental protection, they will play a prominent role in the race for sustainability.
Dragonfly is a thermic/solar-powered electric vehicle that addresses the challenges of climate change and booming energy costs
By showing the political and business vision to find solutions, the airport business community can help to compensate for the current negative impact of air transportation. Our own electric vehicle, Dragonfly, is a small stake in comparison with the sustainability challenge in general. It’s a challenge that calls for a quick expansion of innovative concepts and business models throughout the community. The airport network could be a leading force for innovation, technology promotion and sustainability. This is, in itself, an exciting goal.
Airport, business and image
The name ‘Dragonfly’ reflects the vision of the innovative business implemented by Catecar. Prehistoric dragonflies had a wingspan of 74cm. Over time, confronted by oxygen diminution, they evolved into the smaller, quicker and highly efficient insects we know today. Becoming smaller was necessary to adapt to a changing environment: becoming more energy efficient is today’s challenge for the transportation industry.
Dragonfly is a thermic/solar-powered electric vehicle that addresses the challenges of climate change and booming energy costs. It weighs only 380kg thanks to state-of-the-art technologies developed in some of the best research centres in Switzerland: the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Lausanne and Zürich.
Its key features include a ‘cabin in flax’, a Swiss-patented way of weaving vegetable flax fibres, moulded like a composite material. The cabin weighs only 35kg and absorbs shocks four times better than steel bodies, while being cheaper and more resistant than carbon or aluminium.
The Dragonfly’s solar autonomy ranges from 5km to 7km per hour of sunshine. It carries only 35kg of lead batteries thanks to a highly efficient and light (5kg) solar roof that generates 300W per hour of sunshine. The vehicle has a thermic autonomy of 1,000km in any weather conditions, thanks to a petrol-driven range extender that recharges the batteries as needed. This means the Dragonfly has no need for charging stations.
Catecar has not only developed a new product but also an innovative business model: producing locally through a network of small production units, then selling locally, with airports, ports, military bases and islands as its first clients. Catecar is willing to explore any opportunity with airports and/or enterprises to speed-up their interconnected business goals and joint interests.
For further information email catecar@catecar.ch, or visit catecar.ch
