When Bangalore, India-based electric two-wheeler outfit Ather unveiled its bold Redux concept scooter last September, it was all I could do to keep from banging down the company’s doors and demanding they put it into production immediately. This stunning machine combined a number of innovative ideas and race-inspired styling, and the design went harder than any other maxi scooter in recent memory.
We got only some insight into how the Redux would come together back at the brand’s Community Day event. Today, Swiss materials firm Bcomp has shared more about its collaboration with Ather and the use of a new composite natural fiber for auto parts and components – including in some of the Redux’ bodywork.
The Redux is built for performance and motorcycle-like dynamics. To that end, it’s been engineered around lightweight construction techniques and materials, and that’s where Bcomp comes in with its ampliTex flax-fiber composite.
Meet Project Redux | Ather’s First Ever Concept Vehicle
It’s a woven material made fibers derived from the flax or linseed flowering plant, which features an intricate textured pattern that’s ideal for exposed paneling. You can see it bolted onto the Redux’ cast aluminum frame. Bcomp says this material delivers structural performance while keeping weight low.
Ather Energy
“As we think about the future of two-wheelers, the challenge is to balance sustainability with uncompromising standards of stiffness and everyday usability,” noted Bikash Jyoti Biswas, Ather’s head of design. “Exploring ampliTex natural fiber composites allowed us to do exactly that, offering benefits like vibration damping and more predictable behavior under stress compared to traditional materials.”
Bcomp says ampliTex has serious sustainability cred too. It claims an 85% CO2 footprint reduction compared to carbon fiber. It can also be safely disposed of at the end of its life by burning it and capturing the heat produced, unlike a lot of other composites.
Ather Energy
AmpliTex has featured in some BMW production cars since 2019, as well as concept vehicles from Kia and Cupra, both in interior and exterior applications. The material was also used in the fenders, fairings and winglets on the Suzuki GSX-R1000R for the the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race over the last couple of years.
While the Redux remains a concept for now, its use of ampliTex represents a meaningful step forward in sustainable vehicle design. Whether or not this beautiful two-wheeler makes it to showrooms, the lessons learned from integrating a natural composite like this into high-performance applications could influence the next generation of electric vehicles – without the environmental baggage of traditional materials.
Source: Bcomp
