During the year a number of projects have been in focus. From furniture to automotive related concepts. Still at a small scale due to the slimmed staff within the company 😊. A few of these activities could be worth mentioning when looking back on the year that has recently passed.
JANUARY – Bitch Car – A self-confident Beach Car based on BMW i3
Together with von Braun Sports Cars Zachau Design has lined out the concept of a modern Beach Car based on the BMW i3 platform.
n the present BMW i3 you sit on top of the battery modules. This generates a fairly high vehicle. The idea is to preserve the existing platform as a base for the BITCH CAR. It means that you will keep the drive train, including motor, batteries and regulators, and the chassis with its aluminium frame and wheel- and suspension arrangements. Adding a complete body unit in composite to the self supporting BMW i3 platform reminds a lot of doing the same thing with an old VW Beetle platform. Like in the sixties.
You can read more about this concept under “Automotive”.
MARCH – Street Light Octane by Thorn Lighting, installed in Bergereac France
Images by Thorn Lighting France
Thorn Lighting France has now started to produce and market the Oxane Street Light that has been designed by Zachau Design. The luminaire was presented at Light & Building in Frankfurt. The French market is the biggest fore these luminaries and one of the great projects that has now been carried through is the installation of street lights in Bergerac, east of Bordeaux.
Quote from Thorn Lighting’s Oxane brochure
You can see the complete brochure and the design development of this luminaire under “Lighting”.
MAY – Nilsson ES90 presented Hearse in Denmark
Søren Kanstrup, from Pedersen & Nielsen Bilforretning, leaning against the virtual version of the Nilsson ES90 Hearse in front of Enghøj Chapel by the famous architect Henning Larsen
On the Funeral Fair in Vejle on the 3rd of May Zachau Design together with Pedersen & Nielsen Bilforretning presented the Nilsson ES90 Hearse concept. A fully electric hearse based on the Volvo ES 90. So far the concept consists of sketches, 3d CAD and renderings. Now the first prototype is being built by Nilsson Special Vehicles in Laholm to be presented during early summer of 2026.
You may study the complete presentation under “Automotive”.
JUNE – Two more CASEVAC ambulances delivered to Bucha near Kiev
In early June Zachau Design took part in delivering Casevacs and ambulances to Lviv and Bucha for further transport to the war zone in Ukraine. Behind the activities stands Hug (Help Ukraine in Gothenburg) supported by individuals, private companies and charity organizations. As you may know there is an urgent need for rescue vehicles in Ukraine due to the awful war started by Putin and Russia. The urge of these vehicles seems to be never-ending depending on the extent of the abuse and the short life span of those cars and trucks under war conditions.
On top: Ambulances and CASEVACs on their way to Lviv and Bucha. Below: From a walk in Kiev in 30 degrees of heat. Opposite to the terrible cold weather the Ukrainians have been suffering from this winter. Many of them missing working heating systems and electricity.
JULY – Public Furniture created out of recycled car seats
Original photo from Volvo Cars
Nilsson Special Vehicles has over the years of building ambulances, hearses and limousines thrown brand new backseats from Volvo cars in the bin. What a waste! The company CEO, Fabio Ishaq, then came up with the idea of recycling these seats into furniture for public use. Zachau Design got the contract of developing the furniture. Also with the support from Region Halland/ALMI.
For more information of the project please open the presentation under “Automotive”.
DECEMBER – A 3D printed Christmas Concept
Finally last year Zachau Design used the company 3D printer to make a small Christmas Concept come to live. The little luminaire “Lucifer Lysefyr” was printed in a limited edition of 24 samples. By Zachau Design measures this was mass production. The artifact was distributed to selected people for “personal enlightening” 😊.
