Is It Possible to Ride an E-Bike Made of Cardboard?

Materials science is an interesting field that gives us insight into the viability of different materials for a variety of applications. But engineers tend to be a conservative lot and like to stick to materials proven in the real world. When it comes to bicycle frames (and most bicycle parts), those are steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. Thanks to substantial testing in the real world, we know that those materials work well for bicycles. But what about more sustainable materials? To find out, James Bruton built an e-bike from cardboard

Strictly speaking, your typical metal bicycle frame is probably more sustainable than cardboard. Not only are steel, aluminum, and titanium very durable and likely to have a long service life, they are also easy to recycle. The problem with those is mining the ore, refining the ore into metal ingots, processing those ingots into usable tube and sheet, and manufacturing the tube and sheet into the form of a bicycle. Cardboard, on the other hand, is relatively ecofriendly to produce. The questions are what it takes to turn cardboard into a bicycle and if the bicycle can hold up to use.

Bruton could have answered those questions by building a conventional pedal bicycle, but he didn’t make a name for himself by sticking to convention. Instead, he used cardboard to build an e-bike. The primary structural parts of the bicycle frame are thick cardboard tubes, like the kind people use for shipping, crafts, and concrete forms. 3D-printed parts hold the cardboard together and handle things like steering. In place of spoked wheels and rubber tires, Bruton made wide wheels by gluing together several sheets of corrugated cardboard cut into circles.

In this case, it was actually easier to add an electric drive system than it would have been to try to attach pedals, a chain, a chain ring, a gear cassette, and so on. Bruton drives the rear wheel with a large brushless DC motor meant for drones. It turns the wheel with 3D-printed pulleys and a belt. Power comes from a beefy 6S LiPo battery pack through a skateboard-style VESC (Vedder’s Electronic Speed Controller). A standard e-bike throttle thumb lever controls the motor speed. The only way to slow down is with the motor’s regenerative braking.

To answer the big question: the cardboard e-bike works. A coating of liquid latex helped protect the cardboard from the weather and the sturdy construction held up to Bruton’s weight. While it was rideable, it wasn’t easy to maneuver. That isn’t surprising, given the profile of the wheels. But even though it worked, this probably isn’t the next big thing in cycling. As mentioned above, it is debatable whether cardboard is better for the environment than a typical metal bicycle frame. It is also much harder to make a sleek bike and long term durability doesn’t look promising.