The #FarmToCar mission is simple: replace petroleum-based plastics with plant-based materials.https://t.co/ETS8NqtqxL
— Ford Drive Green (@FordDriveGreen) May 10, 2016
Ford calls it the Farm-to-Car mission -- making cabin materials for new Ford vehicles out of plants instead of petroleum. The switch to green materials reduces Ford's reliance on imported oil, instead using plants that are grown in the region of Ford's manufacturing facilities.
"You can grow plants in 90 days," says Debbie Mielewski, Senior Technical Leader of Materials Sustainability, Ford Motor Company. "Petroleum is made over millions of years. Why are we using petroleum?"
She began working in 2000 on a project to make seat cushion foam out of soybean oil. In 2007, the product hit the market, and since 2011 it has been used in all Ford vehicles manufactured in North America.
Using agricultural products also opens new revenue streams for farmers, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Ford is currently using wheat straw, rice hulls, coconut husks, flax, and more in new production vehicles.
Visit Ruxer Ford Lincoln Inc. for a test drive.