Here is something nice and "green" that should be up Brammo's alley:
The March 2011 issue of Popular Science, on page 40 of their "Headlines, Automotive" section, describes the "first road-ready hemp-mobile". It is the Kestrel, a three-door hatchback, which is made of a "hemp composite as strong as the fiberglass in boats, yet incredibly lightweight", says Nathan Armstrong, the president of Motive Industries, the Kestrel's manufacturer. The article says that, while a similarly sized Ford Fusion weighs 3,720 pounds, the Kestrel will be just 2,500 pounds, including the battery and electric motor which makes it go. They claim the lower weight will increase the car's range by 25 to 30 percent. They expect the price of the vehicle to be around $25,000 - due to the cheap price of hemp.
To make the hemp composite, hemp stalks are combed and rolled into a mat that is infused with a polymer resin. "The hemp makes the biocomposite's flexibility similar to the carbon fiber used in race cars". Hemp is said to grow fast and "Motive Industries plans to have thousands of its hemp-mobiles on the road by next year".
I also assume it would be much easier to recycle than normal types of plastic currently in use. It sounds like a "win-win" to me.
