This Ohio startup turns wind turbine blades into extraordinary park benches
Canvus turns retired wind turbine blades into beautiful park benches, planters, and picnic tables for public spaces across the US.
The US Department of Energy estimates that the average rate of wind turbine retirements will include up to 9,000 blades per year by 2026, and that number will only grow. So Rocky River, Ohio-based startup Canvus is keeping end-of-life wind turbine blades out of landfills by turning them into functional public art.
Big wind turbine manufacturers such as Vestas, GE, and Avangrid have sent thousands of blades to Canvus’s factory since its founding in April 2022. Canvus, in turn, collaborates with nonprofits and civic organizations to provide towns and cities across the US with park benches, tables, and planters made from those wind turbine blades. The company also works with a network of artists who are commissioned to paint on its products in its “primed and ready” program.
The blades are brought into the factory in 40-foot sections, cut using a rope saw, and finished with epoxy paint. In addition to the edges, Canvus uses recycled materials from other industries, such as old tires, shoes, and plastic waste.
Canvus’s vice president of corporate affairs, Brian Donahue, told me that the company has sold “hundreds if not thousands” of its products to US communities. He said the company’s goal is to handle 10-15,000 blades a year but acknowledged that it will need to expand its product line to do so.
How they’re sold
The turbine blade recycler not only makes creative products; it also uses a creative business model. Communities make a wish list of the Canvus products they want, and then those products, with an average price of around $6,000, are then paid for by sponsors. (Canvus’s online sponsorship process reminds me of a wedding gift registry website.) Sponsors could be anyone from a family that wants to commemorate a loved one to a local business that wants to increase its visibility. Each bench features a QR code that provides more information about that sponsor.
For example, the city of Westerville, Ohio, has put nine Canvus benches and hybrid/bench planters on its wish list for its Ohio to Erie trail, which is a recreational long-distance outdoor trail for hikers and cyclists. Four of its benches have sponsors, and five are still up for grabs. For example, someone can still sponsor the Faye Classic Hybrid for the trail – it costs $3,781, and it features seating made from recycled tires and shoes and recycled aluminum feet.
Canvus’s products can only purchased in this fashion, so if you wanted to splurge on one of its wind turbine blade benches for your home, you’d be out of luck. It’s Canv-US. Geddit?
Check out the video below to see how Canvus’s products are made:
Read more: A Danish wind turbine giant just discovered how to recycle all blades
Photos: Canvus
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Tesla is going to build a new Megafactory in Texas near Houston, according to a tax abatement agreement with Waller County.
At the time of writing, Tesla had yet to comment on the new project, but the Waller County Commissioners Court confirmed the project on Wednesday when they approved a tax abatement deal with the company:
Under the proposed agreement, Tesla will receive tax abatements from Waller County based on property improvements. The deal includes $44 million in facility improvements and $150 million in Tesla manufacturing equipment that Tesla will install. The next phase involves a new $31 million distribution facility with about $2 million in Tesla distribution equipment and building upgrades.
Tesla is going to take over a 1-million-sq-ft building that it already held the lease on at the Empire West industrial park near Katy, Texas – just outside of Houston.
Logistics company DB Schenker occupied the space where it handled parts for Tesla, but it will move out and Tesla plans to build Megapack production lines at the site:
Tesla will operate a new Megapack battery storage manufacturing facility at a 1 million-square-foot building, which was initially constructed with no tenant on speculation that it would attract jobs and economic development.
Tesla has previously referred to plants producing Megapacks as “Megafactory”. The company already operates one in Lathrop, California, and one in Shanghai, China, where it just started production.
Those factories are set up for a production capacity of 40 GWh worth of Megapacks per year.
It’s not clear if Tesla plans for a similar capacity at this new factory, but the county announced project should result in creating 1,500 jobs.
In addition to the existing building, the project will include the construction of an additional “600,000-square-foot distribution facility with some manufacturing capabilities.”
Unlike its automotive business, Tesla’s energy business has been growing at an impressive pace – although prices and margins have come down last year.
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![Is Genesis taking notes from Porsche? New GV60 Magma caught with the Taycan [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Genesis-GV60-Magma-Porsche-2.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Genesis is gearing up to unleash its alter ego with its upcoming Magma lineup, its debut into the world of high-performance luxury vehicles. First up is the Genesis GV60 Magma, due out later this year. As testing wraps up, the GV60 Magma was spotted alongside none other than the Porsche Taycan.
The first dedicated Genesis EV model, the GV60, will kick off another new chapter for the Korean luxury automaker.
Genesis unveiled the GV60 Magma last March, claiming it will kick off “the brand’s expansion into the realm of high-performance vehicles.” The performance EV includes an improved battery, chassis, and motor for added performance.
The Magma model boasts a wider, lower stance for more control. Other key upgrades include a wider front air intake to help cool the batteries, motor, and brakes. It also includes air curtains to maximize efficiency and an added roof fin channels air to the rear wing, generating downward force.
Genesis upgraded the interior to match the GV60 Magma’s luxurious, sporty design. It includes unique sports car-like bucket seats with exclusive “double-diamond stitching” in the Magma orange and titanium coloring.
Genesis GV60 Magma spotted with the Porsche Taycan
With its official debut coming up, the sporty Genesis GV60 Magma was spotted testing alongside a Porsche Taycan and Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 N models.
Despite the camouflage, the video from CarSpyMedia reveals a few new design elements, like the two-line headlight featured on the updated GV60 model.
Genesis will launch the GV60 Magma later this year in its home market, followed by the US, Europe, and others. Production is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2025.
Will the Genesis GV60 Magma keep up with the Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model S Plaid? Priced and specs will be revealed closer to launch, but it will sit above the Performance AWD trim, which starts at $69,900 in the US. With up to 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, it can hit 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
| Horsepower | 0 to 60 mph (seconds) |
Starting Price | |
| Genesis GV60 Performance | 429 | 3.7 | $69,900 |
| Genesis GV60 Magma | ? | ? | ? |
| Porsche Taycan | 402 | 4.5 | $99,400 |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (with Weissach Package) |
1,092 | 2.1 | $230,000 |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 1,020 | 1.99 | $89,990 |
In comparison, the Porsche Taycan starts at $99,400 with up to 402 hp and a 0 to 60 mph time in 4.5 seconds. The Taycan Turbo GT, equipped with its Weissach package, packs 1,092 hp for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 2.1 seconds, but it costs $230,000.
Tesla’s Model S Plaid starts at $79,990 and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds with 1,020 horsepower. Which performance EV are you choosing?
Source: CarSpyMedia
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