Say Hello To Liux’s ‘Animal’, The First Plant-Based Electric Vehicle

An automobile startup Liux based in Santa Pola, Spain, has unveiled an electric vehicle like nothing the industry has ever seen. The electric vehicle they called ‘Animal’ was made from 90% plant-based and recycled material.

Part of the chassis, the interior, and the body are made from resins and bio-polymer-based organic fibers. Liux’s Animal has 25% fewer materials and pieces than you would see in regular cars. To get there, the panels of the vehicle were press molded while the molds for the body panels were 3D printed. The entire process results in 50% fewer emissions.

Liux is the brainchild of two young Spanish entrepreneurs, David Sancho and Antonio Espinosa de Los Monteros. In an event held in Madrid in early November 2022, the young entrepreneurs highlighted plans for the future of the company which was followed by the unveiling of Animal.

The entrepreneurs also revealed that the books were open for reservation on the company’s website for as little as 200 euros. If the mass production of the car doesn’t come to fruition, everyone would get a full refund. Even more importantly, the company was open to investors.

In the automobile industry, companies usually put in years of research and development before the release of their product. However, Liux which began in 2021 already has the ambition to start fulfilling customer orders as early as 2024. In the next five years, they want to be manufacturing 50,000 cars. The starting price of the electric crossover is 39,000 euros.

Interesting features of Liux’s Animal EV

The high-end version of the Animal EV can go from 0 to 62 mph (100km/h) in just 5 seconds. Also, it has a range of 373 miles (600 km) on a full charge and can reach a top speed of 112 mph (180km/h).

The fast acceleration of the Animal EV is not surprising considering the fact that Sancho was part of the development of Boreal, a hybrid supercar with 1,000 hp which was first made public in 2017—although it never made it to mass production.

Liux wants the Animal EV to feature a single rear-mounted electric motor that delivers 237 hp. While it is not yet clear where Liux will get its battery (which is the most important and expensive component of an EV), there are speculations that it will use a removable modular battery pack. That means the user can easily replace the battery when it has significantly degraded. The EV will offer up to 170 kW battery capacity.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The Animal EV is 4.65 meters long. As a result of the renewable and recycled materials used in making the vehicle, the weight drops by up to 440 pounds (200kg). However, this should not negatively impact the rigidity or stability. The reduced weight also allows the Animal EV to travel faster.

At a glance, it is easy to mistake the animal EV for a coupe because of its sporty look and minimized rear doors. Instead of the usual forward opening, the rear doors open backward. Also, the door handles for the front and back doors lie side-by-side and flush with the curve of the body.

The front fascia is particularly striking because of the headlights that are reduced to strips and punctuated by two rectangular LED bars. The fog light is just beneath the headlights and takes a more traditional look.

Also, the taillights are even more striking with a LED strip curving around the entire back of the vehicle. A secondary lower strip attempts to curve around too but runs into the company’s name. The manufacturers clearly showed their love for nature with the panoramic glass roof that runs from front to back, ending as a spoiler that stretches off the roof.

A sneak peek of the inside of Animal EV

While it is easy to fall in love with the innovative body design of the Animal EV, the inside looks revolutionary too. From the released model video, the Liux’s Animal lacks a visible button on the steering wheel which is different from what is prevalent in modern EVs.

Also, in other EVs, the speedometer is mounted lower while the infotainment screen is usually mounted higher. That arrangement is alternated in Animal. The central screen is mounted low and gives the driver access to control different features of the vehicle. For now, there are no words on the choice of speakers.

However, it was revealed that the EV will make use of an Android Automotive operating system with support for 5G connectivity. The chairs look minimalized too and are made from renewable materials, just like most parts of the interior.

Unless the manufacturers can secure at least 15 million euros in a new funding round, the Animal EV may never make it to production. Also, there is every likelihood that the vehicle will be assembled in an external plant since the company cannot afford to build one now.