A MORE SUSTAINABLE SCOOTER APPROACH USING NATURAL COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Electric scooters have become a key element of urban mobility in recent years, offering an efficient, sustainable and agile alternative for city transport. They are powered by electric motors powered by lithium-ion batteries, allowing them to reach speeds of between 20 and 40 km/h with a range of up to 40 km. Factors such as increasing traffic congestion, the need to reduce carbon emissions and the support of legislation in many cities have accelerated the growth of their use and integration into the transport ecosystem. In terms of structure, conventional electric scooters are mainly made of aluminium alloys, which makes them heavy products, detracting from their autonomy. This work proposes the use of natural composite materials to achieve a lighter solution, with a structural performance similar to current proposals. In this way, sustainable solutions will be achieved with a reduction in mass that not only facilitates their transport and manoeuvrability, but also reduces the energy demand of the motor, which contributes to lower electricity consumption and greater battery autonomy. In addition, a manufacturing system using direct generation of 3D printing moulds is proposed. This technology allows to reduce costs, development times and environmental impact through the use of recyclable materials and energy efficient manufacturing processes. The environmental impacts of the different configurations (current and proposed) are analyzed under IPCC 2013 GWP 100a v1.03 methodology. The phases of the scooter's life cycle that are most sensitive to the proposed natural composite materials are also explored in depth. The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodology will be used to carry out the environmental study. Keywords: Scooter, Natural Composites, Sustainability, Life Cycle Analysis, Urban Mobility.