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Tarform’s electric motorcycle is built from recyclable and biodegradable materials

A Brooklyn-based startup is building electric motorcycles that are made from recyclable and natural biodegradable materials.

“The idea was to create the motorcycle of tomorrow,” Tarform founder Taras Kravtchouk told the New York Times. “If you were to build a bike with sustainability in mind, what principles would it be [based on]? Electric, but also with the least harm to our environment.”

The vegan artificial leather seats offered by other vehicle makers are typically made from polyvinyl chloride. The Tarform motorcycle’s seats are made from natural fibers derived from pineapples, mangos or corn. The side panels are made from flax seed rather than plastic, and the pigments that color the bodywork are derived from natural algae. The aluminum frame is recyclable, and the battery pack is designed to be swappable.

“Today, we design things for obsolescence,” Mr. Kravtchouk said. “In the ‘60s, we used honest materials. That’s why vintage bikes from that era still last if you take care of them.”

The Tarform currently offers about 120 miles per charge. Kravtchouk’s idea is that buyers could someday upgrade to a higher range without buying a new bike. “If there’s a new battery pack that comes out in three years with much higher energy density, you can simply swap the battery and suddenly you get 50 to 100 percent more range,” he says. “That makes a lot more sense than constantly pushing new models and pushing people to get rid of something that’s perfectly usable. The thing that is ultimately the most sustainable is the one you don’t throw away.”

The Tarform will be available later this year as a customizable Founder Edition model that starts at $42,000. A $24,000 model called the Tarform Luna is to go into production next year. The company says it already has 1,500 orders on the books.

Source: New York Times

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