Ford Motor Company is helping play a role in promoting environmentally friendly auto parts, and one way it’s doing that is by using recycled plastic bottles for underbody shields on all cars and SUVs and wheel liners on F-series trucks.
“The underbody shield is a large part, and for a part that big, if we use solid plastic, it would likely weigh three times as much,” said Thomas Sweder, design engineer for Ford Motor Company, in a statement. “We look for the best materials to work with to make our parts, and in this case, we are also creating many environmental benefits.”
It all started in 2006, when Ford said it was the first automaker to use recycled plastics for wheel liners on the European Escort. Over the last 12 years, aerodynamics has driven the need for underbody shields, and the use of plastics in vehicle parts is used globally and has grown exponentially. Ford said it uses roughly 1.2 billion recycled plastic bottles per year—about 250 bottles per vehicle on average.
Due to its light weight, recycled plastic is ideal for the manufacture of underbody shields, engine under shield and front- and rear-wheel arch liners that can help improve vehicle aerodynamics, which effects fuel efficiency. These shields also help create a significantly quieter environment on the new 2020 Ford Escape, according to the company.
Ford Recycles 1.2B Plastic Bottles a Year for Vehicle Parts
Ford Motor Company is helping play a role in promoting environmentally friendly auto parts, and one way it’s doing that is by using recycled plastic bottles for underbody shields on all cars and SUVs and wheel liners on F-series trucks.
Ford Gets Serious about Car Recycling
What consumer item do you think is recycled more than any other in the U.S.? Did you guess plastic soda bottles? Or maybe newspapers? You might be surprised to learn that the most recycled item in the U.S. is… cars! At Ford Motor Company, we’re serious about car recycling.
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