KALMAR’s team of craftspeople adds new life to its cars in the purest form of upcycling by adding, upgrading, modifying, and engineering them to perfection. Through its new Evergreen innovations, each KALMAR creation can now benefit from further contemporary updates as technological developments like renewable fuels or even all-electric drivetrains become available.
Evergreen
Taking the carbon out of carbon fibre?
KALMAR Automotive has partnered with a leading motorsports technology specialist, known for Le Mans-winning, record-breaking cutting-edge technology, to design and mould a complete plant fibre bodyshell for its more environmentally-conscious customers.
This revolutionary composite bodywork has immense strength and weight-reducing properties versus the original steel, whilst significantly reducing the comparative CO2 emissions of its carbon fibre-based relative. And since the flax plant fibres used have been absorbing carbon during their growth cycle, the production process will even have a negative CO2 footprint. The race is on to be the first in the world to bring this to market for the entire bodywork, and it looks like KALMAR Automotive will achieve that.
For clients wishing to keep the iconic air-cooled combustion engine there is also a model dedicated for that in the Evergreen range, which is compatible with sustainable e-fuels yet retains the internal combustion engine.
Adapting for E-fuels
Adapting for e-fuels developed for motorsport, which are soon to reach the forecourt.
The 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, was entirely run on 100 percent sustainable fuels utilizing bioethanol from wine industry residues.
As advancements led by fuel companies, motorsports and global car manufacturers filter into the consumer market, KALMAR Automotive is ensuring that all new 7-97 Evergreen vehicles are ahead of the game, adapting modified air-cooled Porsche engines to be market-ready for these emission- reducing fuels.
Reduce CO2
The fight to reduce CO2 is a natural part of the production.
Why waste energy building something new when it has already been created before and can be recycled to become even better than the original? This is the overall idea behind the KALMAR Evergreen philosophy, but it does not end there.
In the Evergreen programme, the company commits to checking every nut and bolt to ensure it is not wasted. Not always the most cost-efficient solution but a great investment for the environment, if it can be re-used, it will be.
During conversion, the team checks all parts to see if they can be restored to better than new condition, and if that isn’t possible then they look into recycling and circular economy so others can benefit from the parts that cannot be used in the conversion.
Good condition, sought-after parts that are not of good enough quality to be used on these builds, but still have life in them, will be offered for sale to keep on providing another lease of life for other vehicles.
Items like the glass and some aluminium parts that will not be found in its original form on the final KALMAR conversion will be smelted and recast and used on the KALMAR 7-97 Evergreen models.
Upcycling a classic, retaining its core passion with more precision, bespoke elements and yet with a sustainable edge. Some say KALMAR vehicles are the greenest cars they’ve ever owned. Join the movement.
