Products from renewable resources are dominating as a theme in 2003. Cargill-Dow launched its Ingeo brand for PLA fibre while over at the Detroit Auto Show Ford unveiled its model U car, which has PLA and soy-based body panels, seat foam and grease, as well as corn-filled tyres and sunflower-seed-based engine oil. The model U is powered by the world's first supercharged hydrogen internal combustion engine and equipped with a hybrid electric transmission. Its emission of all pollutants including carbon dioxide, is nearly zero, and the engine is up to 25 % more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines. The hybrid-electric transmission system further improves efficiency. The hydrogen ICE is a common sense power plant that uses existing, proven technologies to deliver the environmental benefits of a hydrogen fuel cell, but at a fraction of the complexity and cost. The hydrogen ICE is joined with an advanced hybrid electric transmission technology called the Ford Modular Hybrid Transmission System (MHTS). In 1999, Ford Motor Company introduced the industry's first full-featured vehicle voice control system called JaguarVoice. The Model U is helping encourage development of materials that are safe to produce, use and recycle over and over again in a cradle-to-cradle cycle. Eco-effective polyester is the fabric designed by Milliken and to be a technical nutrient. It can be recycled into base elements and reprocessed into material fibre again. This polyester is used inside the Model U on its seats, dash, steering wheel, headrest, door trim, and armrest. PLA fabrics manufactured by Interface are used for the model U's canvas roof and carpet mats. There are also several soy-based components in Model U, including polyurethane seating foam and polyester resin that is reinforced with fibreglass and used to make the tailgate.


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    Title :

    Detroit U-turn


    Additional title:

    Die Wende in Detroit


    Published in:

    Future Materials - fm ; Mar/Apr ; 2-5


    Publication date :

    2003


    Size :

    4 Seiten, 8 Bilder



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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