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Biomimicry and the Automobile
Envisioning the future of the automobile by drawing inspiration from the ingenuity of living things
Reconciling progress and technological sustainability in the design of tomorrow's vehicle
A driving force in the economy, the automotive industry is at a crossroads. While it plays a central role in our daily lives and provides more than 80% of passenger transport , it must be mindful of its environmental footprint. Indeed, considering only the impact of vehicle exhaust, the sector emits 6 gigatons of CO2 per year, representing 15% of global emissions ( McKinsey ).
Faced with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, industry players must be incredibly resourceful to remain competitive by offering innovative and appealing products from every perspective. They are thus confronted with numerous unprecedented challenges, ranging from vehicle electrification and autonomous driving to reducing fuel consumption, promoting multimodality, and enhancing user comfort and safety. The stakes are high in an industry where intense international competition and constantly evolving regulations drive the need for innovation.
Biomimicry presents a major technological opportunity for the automotive industry.
Mobile, agile and fast in environments with changing and varied constraints, living organisms have benefited from more than 3.8 billion years of evolution to develop the properties and mechanisms that allow them to survive.
Getting around is a major issue for the vast majority of them, which makes biomimicry easily transferable to the automotive sector.
Whether in the air or in water, the shapes of bodies found in nature often optimize the energy needed for movement. A striking example is the boxfish, whose angular silhouette offers surprising aerodynamics. Mercedes-Benz drew inspiration from this species to design a concept car. Thanks to the boxfish's shape, the vehicle achieved an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.19, thus reducing air resistance.
This innovative design has reduced fuel consumption by up to 20%, while simultaneously improving vehicle stability and performance. Biomimicry has much more to offer: from engines and ventilation systems to onboard interfaces, numerous elements can be optimized by drawing inspiration from nature. The sandfish, a reptile capable of moving easily through sand thanks to its friction-reducing properties, inspires innovative solutions in the automotive sector.
Researchers are actively exploring the transposition of this dry lubrication to improve the efficiency of constantly moving parts in industry, such as those found in engines.
Bionnov, a French expert in biomimicry, demonstrates how bio-inspired R&D opens up new perspectives to meet the technological challenges of the automotive industry, by relying on the ingenious solutions of nature.
