By: FOXmls.com
Published: February 20, 2014
"Green" has taken on a new meaning in the auto industry, and even Corvettes and pickup trucks are getting into the act. Take Ford's F-150. Many of its gaskets and seals now contain 25 percent recycled tires and 17 percent bio-renewable content from soy, according to Ford.
"Green" now means that vehicles are re-using all sorts of products in the manufacturing process. To the slogan, "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle", the auto industry has added "Re-invent." From Ford's soy foam seat cushions to the recycled water bottles used by Nissan for sound insulation, the industry has become conscious of the value of "green" parts. Companies are spending big research dollars and/or partnering with leading companies in the recycling industry in the race to be environmentally on trend.
A recent CAA article by Stephanie Sinopoli lists some of the products we are (or soon will be) riding in: Recycled denim dashboards, sugar cane-based plastic components and trunks lined with coconut fiber are adding to the greening of the auto industry. A newcomer called kenaf, which works like cotton and was originally used for making twine, is reinforcing roofs on GM autos.
More green products are on the drawing board, but designers also haven't left style behind. Take the North American car of the Year, GM's 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: It gets great mileage, thanks to its new aluminum frame, and looks, as Chris Paukert noted on AutoBlog: "fresh, modern and habitually aggressive." Your ride is going green, but you may be too taken with its looks to notice.
"Green" now means that vehicles are re-using all sorts of products in the manufacturing process. To the slogan, "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle", the auto industry has added "Re-invent." From Ford's soy foam seat cushions to the recycled water bottles used by Nissan for sound insulation, the industry has become conscious of the value of "green" parts. Companies are spending big research dollars and/or partnering with leading companies in the recycling industry in the race to be environmentally on trend.
A recent CAA article by Stephanie Sinopoli lists some of the products we are (or soon will be) riding in: Recycled denim dashboards, sugar cane-based plastic components and trunks lined with coconut fiber are adding to the greening of the auto industry. A newcomer called kenaf, which works like cotton and was originally used for making twine, is reinforcing roofs on GM autos.
More green products are on the drawing board, but designers also haven't left style behind. Take the North American car of the Year, GM's 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: It gets great mileage, thanks to its new aluminum frame, and looks, as Chris Paukert noted on AutoBlog: "fresh, modern and habitually aggressive." Your ride is going green, but you may be too taken with its looks to notice.
No comments:
Post a Comment