Ford Wants To Use Shredded Olive Trees To Build Cars

Date:12 Jan 2024

Country: Germany

Application

• Sustainable car trim components: Shredded olive tree fibers combined with recycled plastic are used to create lighter, eco-friendly car trim parts.

Description

Ford is exploring the use of shredded olive tree fibers combined with recycled plastic to create car trim components. The material, sourced from olive groves in Andalusia, offers a lighter, more eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics. This innovation aims to reduce carbon footprints and make car manufacturing more sustainable. The prototype parts are made with a 40:60 ratio of olive tree fibers and recycled polypropylene plastic.

Pathway Description:

Ford's engineers in Cologne sourced shredded olive tree fibers from olive groves in Andalusia, Spain, where the trees are pruned annually. These fibers were mixed with recycled polypropylene plastic in a 40:60 ratio. The blend was then heated and injection-molded into desired shapes for car trim components. This process creates lighter, eco-friendly parts with a reduced carbon footprint.