Ford Motor Company today announces it is working with Jose Cuervo ® , the world’s No. 1-selling tequila, to develop a sustainable, lightweight material for use in its vehicle lineup. The collaboration expands the automaker’s portfolio of earth-conscious materials to include agave.
Ford began researching the use of sustainable materials in its vehicles in 2000. Today, the automaker uses several bio-based materials in its vehicles and is testing many more for future applications including algae, tomato peel and carbon dioxide. The work helps improve Ford’s environmental impact by reducing the use of petrochemicals and reducing carbon emissions while also light-weighting vehicles to reduce fossil fuel use.
Ford uses several sustainable materials including:
Kenaf, a tropical plant in the cotton family, is used in the door bolsters of Ford Escape
REPREVE fabric, made from recycled plastic bottles, diverts more than 5 million plastic
bottles from landfill annually. Ford most recently introduced REPREVE in F-150
Post-consumer cotton from denim and T-shirts is used as interior padding and sound
insulation in most Ford vehicles
EcoLon post-consumer nylon carpeting is used as cylinder head covers in Ford Escape,
Fusion, Mustang and F-150
Recycled plastic bottles are becoming floor carpeting, wheel liners and shields in several
vehicles including Ford Transit and C-MAX
Recycled post-consumer tires are used in seals and gaskets
Rice hulls are used to reinforce plastic in Ford F-150 electrical harness
Soy-based foams are used as seat cushions, seatbacks and head restraints in Ford’s
North American vehicle lineup
Wheat straw is used in Ford Flex to reinforce storage bins
Cellulose tree fibers are used in the armrest of Lincoln MKX. Used to replace glass-filled
plastic, this industry-first material weighs 10 percent less, is produced 30 percent faster,
and reduces carbon emissions
