Many companies have taken a green turn in recent years. Naturally, automakers followed suit with more vehicles that burn less fuel, hybrid powertrains and even electric cars.
What few people know is that several parts and components found in the current model fleet are made from renewable and/or recycled materials. Ford is inviting the media to help spread the word.
A variety of post-consumer recyclable materials can be used in car manufacturing to achieve the same end products while reducing CO2 emissions in the process. At Ford, some vehicles boast seat fabrics made of recycled fibres from industrial waste, padding made from old jeans and cylinder head covers partly made from nylon carpets.
Besides recycling, some components also involve renewable resources. Normally, car plastics are made of petrol which, in addition to being non-renewable, has a negative impact on the environment during transformation.
Ford strives to minimize its oil dependence by investing in R&D. Lately, they have been able to produce plastics using wheat straw as well as sugars in corn and sugarbeets, among other sources. They've also relied on soy-based polyurethane foams for seat cushions, seat backs and headliners.
At the moment, over 2 million Ford vehicles (23 different models) on the road contain soy foam. Using this renewable material has allowed the company to reduce its annual oil consumption by 3 million pounds and its CO2 emissions by 11 million pounds.
Meanwhile, wheat straw alone has contributed to a 20,000-pound reduction in oil consumption and a 30,000-pound saving in CO2. The Ford Flex, in particular, uses this biological product in third-row storage bins.
 |
| Photo: Marc-André Hallé/Auto123.com |
What few people know is that several parts and components found in the current model fleet are made from renewable and/or recycled materials. Ford is inviting the media to help spread the word.
A variety of post-consumer recyclable materials can be used in car manufacturing to achieve the same end products while reducing CO2 emissions in the process. At Ford, some vehicles boast seat fabrics made of recycled fibres from industrial waste, padding made from old jeans and cylinder head covers partly made from nylon carpets.
Besides recycling, some components also involve renewable resources. Normally, car plastics are made of petrol which, in addition to being non-renewable, has a negative impact on the environment during transformation.
Ford strives to minimize its oil dependence by investing in R&D. Lately, they have been able to produce plastics using wheat straw as well as sugars in corn and sugarbeets, among other sources. They've also relied on soy-based polyurethane foams for seat cushions, seat backs and headliners.
At the moment, over 2 million Ford vehicles (23 different models) on the road contain soy foam. Using this renewable material has allowed the company to reduce its annual oil consumption by 3 million pounds and its CO2 emissions by 11 million pounds.
Meanwhile, wheat straw alone has contributed to a 20,000-pound reduction in oil consumption and a 30,000-pound saving in CO2. The Ford Flex, in particular, uses this biological product in third-row storage bins.
 |
| Photo: Marc-André Hallé/Auto123.com |