Unique design collaboration in Wallpaper*
The influential magazine Wallpaper* is featuring an all-aluminium concept electric vehicle – called the Hydro Trike – under development with a team of designers.
The August 2020 issue of the magazine’s new project, “Wallpaper* Re-Made – Design for a better world,” “brings together the best and the brightest – designers, architects, artists, technologists, scientists, makers and manufacturers – to re-think the possible.”
In the issue are 23 projects that will be shown in Milan next year during the Salone del Mobile, says Sarah Douglas, Editor-in-Chief, including the Hydro Trike – a fully electrical heavy transporter bike to offload small diesel lorries and vans in urban environments that are looking to become more car-free.
The Hydro Trike is the result of a collaboration between German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic and Hydro, which will contribute the benefits of its low-carbon aluminium Hydro CIRCAL, which contains a minimum 75% post-consumer recycled aluminium, and Hydro REDUXA, which produces less than 4 kg of CO2 per 1 kg of aluminium.
Also involved in developing the concept are Polestar, which is part of Volvo, and Cake, which makes electric bikes and electric motorbikes. Both companies are based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Grcic was intrigued by the qualities of aluminium and a technique commonly used by Hydro to join aluminium components in an elegant way – friction stir welding. “Aluminium is strong and lightweight and perfect for vehicle construction,” he told the magazine. “So we decided to look at cargo bikes.”
His design is an electric three-wheeler and trailer made of aluminium extrusions: “You could deliver furniture with it or turn it into an ice cream van or vegetable stall. It could be anything really,” he said.
“Hydro is proud to be collaborating with on this project to create the Hydro Trike, the new all-aluminium, lightweight, simple, flexible, super-functional trailer pulled by an electric trike. This is a great example of how experts can unite to create new products that move the world in a more sustainable direction,” says Hilde Kallevig, Head of Brand and Marketing in Hydro.
“We will offer our aluminium know-how as well as our prime high-quality recycled aluminium, Hydro CIRCAL, in order to make this a sustainable product with low emissions in the production phase that can hopefully also reduce the problems of polluting trucks and mini vans in many dense urban environments.”
Look for the Hydro Trike at Salone del Mobile in Milan, scheduled for April 13-18, 2021.
Link to free download of the August 2020 issue of Wallpaper*
