Bio-based material use growing in auto manufacturing

There is significant potential for the expansion of bio-based automotive parts and components manufacturing in the Great Lakes region according to a newly-released study conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a nonprofit research organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“Bio-based materials, such as corn- and castor oil-based plastics, natural fiber reinforcements, and soy-based foam, have already been tested and deployed in a number of automotive components—door interiors, seating, package shelves, and underbody panels, for example.” says Bernard Swiecki, senior project manager and the study’s lead. “Although still in its infancy, the use of bio-based materials by the automotive industry has been gradually accelerating over the last several years. Many companies in the Great Lakes region are examining the use of bio-based materials in their automotive parts and components. The region is the nucleus for automotive component research and manufacturing and provides a major source of the feedstock crops used to produce bio-based materials.”

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Tags: bio-based automotive parts, automotive industry