New Zealand rally driver Hayden Paddon's brand new electric rally car, using world-first technology from a Christchurch-based company, has been unveiled at Field Days in Mystery Creek.
KiwiFibre is the only company in the world using technology to turn harakeke flax plants into carbon fibre composite materials.
The front and rear bumpers, and the roof of Paddon's new Hyundai Kona EV rally car were made entirely from harakeke.
"These panels are lighter, which is important in motor sport, and more durable and resistant to impacts and contact," co-founder Ben Scales told 1News.
"For Hayden, this is the perfect compliment to the innovation that Paddon Rallysport is committed to and gives competitive advantage on the rally track," he said.
"For KiwiFibre, this is a great showcase of Kiwi ingenuity, and a perfect test for harakeke."
KiwiFibre co-founders Ben Scales and William Murrell (right). (Source: 1News)
Ben Scales and William Murrell first thought of KiwiFibre during a group project the pair were working on while studying at the University of Canterbury.
Since November 2022 more than $1.6 million had been raised for the start-up, with the company on track to raise a further $2 million this year to fund the next phase of growth.
Murrell said they currently have three growers on contract around the Canterbury region.
"We harvest the leaves, then extract the fibre and send it off to be made into carbon fibre.
KiwiFibre's William Murrell (Source: 1News)
"We talked to a few domestic and international customers and realised there was a large problem with the current carbon fibre industry and decided to use natural fibre," he said.
Growers are able to claim carbon credits through the Ministry of Primary Industries Emissions Trading Scheme. Scales said the company had more bio-diverse plantings on the way because of this.
"The vision for the industry is a unified, flourishing harakeke industry which works with the land rather than against it," said Scales.
When asked about the future of the company, Murrell expressed his desire to see harakeke used around the world.
KiwiFibre hopes to see harekeke used around the world. (Source: 1News)
"We ultimately want to get harakeke into high performance applications such as Formula 1 and other sports," said Murrell.
KiwiFibre are up for an innovation award at this year's Field Days held in Mystery Creek.
European settlers first harvested harakeke in the mid-19th century and exported it for rope manufacturing. It became New Zealand's biggest industry, but declined in the 1970's with the rise of synthetic fibres.
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