Comments on: Ford Aims for 100-Percent Petroleum-Free Compostable Cars

By: David

David — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:05:01 +0000

I am not a plastics engineer but I am glad this work is being done to develop sustainable parts for future vehicles that don't end up creating an indefinite environmental burden at the end of lifecycle. The plastic soup in the middle of our oceans (mid-pacific gyre and others) is testimony to the fact that "out of sight" is not "gone" and there is no "away".

We need more green chemistry research and development. I happen to know that many plastic /synthetic vehicle parts have lots of waste trim and scrap which is also not able to be reused at the present time by the manufacturers. All of these new measures should act in synergy to help reduce the eco footprint of manufacturing.

Next we need to get a handle on the vehicle emissions during use, particularly CO2. My 10 year old hybrid 1st generation Insight gets 60 mpg, no Ford compares right now. I'm hoping to retrofit it someday as an EV when battery technology progresses further.

By: Frank allen

Frank allen — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:12 +0000

As a soybean producer and a Ford hybrid owner I say great. We need mor forward thinking like this but lets hope they follow through. so many time things like this are announced but we never hear more about it. Let’s hold Ford’s feet to the fire on this one. By the way I have been most happy with my ford Hybrid.

By: D Mart

D Mart — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:03:37 +0000

Well I think its brilliant. I mean the bottom line is that the we have so much waste in this country that gets thrown in landfills and is does not break down, that our landfills are overflowing. These materials being researched, could be used in other facets of life. By having a large company like ford, who has the economic means to do research on environmentally conscious materials, that can lead the way, our Environment can be better protected from not only waste from cars but in homes and consumer packaging.
Using the waste from wheat is excellent not only for sustainability but also economically. It will be another income source for farmers who would otherwise be throwing away the material and perhaps it will help give them economic security so they don't have to become a part of these large conglomerate corporate farms which are encroaching on small private-owned farms nation wide and across the food sector.
The fact that these materials reduce weight in cars and thus energy consumption is another win. So what the materials last 10-15 years, they are still being researched on and are not being shoved into cars ust yet. Yes ford has been using some of the materials in its seats, but not to the extent that this article is suggesting it wants to, so we are fine. Bottom line there is no glaringly obvious drawback.

By: veek

veek — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:50:41 +0000

-Surely, a step in the right direction.

-RPC57: Companies experiment with new materials all the time. They also refine their testing standards and the projected life expectancy is based on those tests. I'll bet the materials in your old vehicle -- and my '96 one -- were given the same life expectancy or even less, based on estimates.
-I worked in materials for a while and we were always looking for better testing methods as well as new materials themselves, since no one can expect to predict the actual long-term performance of a material with short-term lab tests.
-Apparently, the new biomaterials still have some bugs but it's good to know they are being considered and developed.

By: Hal Howell

Hal Howell — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:14:55 +0000

This is insanity and all because a “natural” resource like petroleum has been demonized! Why not solve the issue and go back to metal dashboards? Now that we have air-bags and seat belts, metal dashboards shouldn’t be a problem. We could also go back to wood. Oh, that would mean cutting down trees. Maybe we could just go back to riding horses and carriages again. Here’s one, why not just outlaw cars altogether? How stupid. God has given us the perfect material, it just has to be treated in a responsible way!

By: Shines

Shines — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:32:49 +0000

Interesting – the original Model T Fords lasted longer than their competitors because they were the first to use a metal frame and undercarriage and axels while the competition still used (compostalble) wood.

By: RPC57

RPC57 — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:15:30 +0000

“Our materials are designed to be durable—a 10 to 15 year service life” – Great! Guess that means my 10.5 yr old car would be falling apart right now…literally, instead of me being able to drive for another couple of years and reaching 100,000 miles. But, at least they are looking at alternatives. Let’s hope when I retire my auto will last at least 10 years without having to replace everything….seats, dashboard, interior panels, etc.

By: JamesDavis

JamesDavis — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:36:50 +0000

Why don’t Ford also Aim for 100-Percent Petroleum-Free engines?