This week our Plastics Make It Possible® Team traveled to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2012 in Detroit to see how plastics are being used in incredibly innovative ways to help make cars safer and more fuel efficient. The team was also amazed to see how plastics are helping to enable beautiful, sleek contouring and design. The reality is we couldn’t have modern cars without plastics. Plastics help provide unparalleled safety benefits (think seat belts and airbags) and they’re at the heart of solutions that make vehicles more lightweight, help increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. What’s more, as car makers work to meet sustainability goals and use recovered materials, a growing number of car parts are using parts made with recycled plastics. In 2009 Ford Motor Company diverted between 25 and 30 million pounds of plastic from landfills to manufacture car parts and French car maker Renault has set an aggressive goal of including 20% recycled plastic in all its new cars by 2015. It’s certainly an exciting time for automotive plastics!
Check out our NAIAS Auto Show 2012 photo album here on the Plastics Make It Possible® Facebook page and take a virtual trip to one of the most prestigious auto shows in the world. The cars and trucks may impress you, and we’re hoping the innovative plastic design features—like Mercedes Benz steering-wheel mounted plastic paddle gear shift or Smart Car’s Concept Electric “Pickup Truck”—leave you feeling amazed and excited about the cars and trucks of today and tomorrow!
You may also like:
Ford Focus Electric to Use Recycled Plastic Bottles for Seat Fabric (DailyTech.com, January 10, 2012)
Global Auto Sector Is In Growth Mode and Will Drive Chemical and Polymers Demand (ICIS Chemical Business, January 9, 2012)
College for Creative Studies Car Design photo gallery
Plastics Boost Range of Electric Cars (Plastics Today, October 10, 2011)
