This Tiny Electric Car Is Made From 80 Percent Recycled Plastics

You wouldn't break any speed records driving it — but you could help save the planet.

Green Light

Milan-based design studio Mandalaki recently unveiled the Birò O2, a concept car that puts a sustainable twist on Italian carmaker Estrima's Birò, a tiny two-seater electric vehicle currently available for sale in Europe.

According to Mandalaki, 80 percent of the Birò O2's parts are made from recycled plastics, a higher percentage than any other vehicle on the market — and the innovative car could soon help the world deal with its abundance of plastic waste.

Slow and Steady

Mandalaki molded the structural elements for the Birò O2 out of finely ground plastic recyclables, producing other parts, such as the steering wheel, out of non-recycled plastic.

The result of the firm's efforts is a compact EV that can travel 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a single charge, with a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour).

Next Level

Mandalaki and Estrima aim to make the Birò O2 available for purchase by June 2019. They're also working on a car produced from 100 percent recycled parts, with the goal of having that one ready by the end of 2020.

"As a design studio, we are fascinated by the automotive world and, in general, by the world of performance," Mandalaki designer Enrico De Lotto told Dezeen. "We try to develop projects that can have a real impact on people's lives, and not just make things that are nice to look at — projects should be functional and solve needs."

READ MORE: All-electric Birò 02 concept car made from 80% recycled plastics [Digital Trends]

More on plastic waste: The End of Plastic Has Officially Arrived