Will All Cars Soon Be Made of Plastic?

Car manufacturers are rushing to design and engineer a more fuel-efficient yet affordable vehicle. While doing so, much of the metal that made up the cars of yesterday will be replaced with highly sophisticated and much lighter plastics.

When we think of cars, we traditionally picture them as being made of metal, iron and steel. But according to the director of automotive studies at the American Plastic Council's Automotive Learning Centre, "Ten years ago, about 150 pounds of plastics were on the average North American vehicle. Today, more than 250 pounds are being used. We expect more than 320 pounds of plastic to be on 2010 cars." These figures are especially important when one considers that every pound of material used in an automobile speaks for billions of dollars being spent by the automotive industry.

What does this mean when one major type of material is replaced by another? To start, it affects individual industries. Companies who produce metals will suffer while those who are making plastics will grow. Of course the types of plastics used in cars has to meet regulations which means companies who are plastic suppliers have to keep up with the demand and science of making more and more sophisticated composites.  Such composites must be engineered at the molecular level to exhibit specific physical properties such as scratch resistance, flame resistance and greater degrees of stiffness.

But it doesn’t stop here. Although a plastic company may come up with a new plastic, it also has to be incorporated into the design of a car and proven that it can reduce costs and improve the product. This is tricky to do when there are also numerous requirements on the plastic industry such as how the plastic will be recycled to finding ways to educate design engineers about new materials and their properties.

The most common plastic used for vehicles is a lightweight, high-strength aerospace material called carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. It's used in the doors, hoods, fenders, chassis and also in support frames for the engine and transmission. This plastic can be molded into almost any shape the designer wants.

What about recycled plastic? At the Geneva Auto Show, Hyundai announced a concept vehicle using recycled plastic bottles to create most of its outer skin. The QarmaQ, an Intuit word for “dwellings made of Earth, whalebone, and animal skins”, was an idea brought about by Hyundai’s Europe’s Design and Technical Center, along with GE Plastics. The design of using plastic as opposed to glass and steel, they say, allows for a 130-pound weight reduction, equaling 20 gallons of gas savings every year.

In addition, to the use of recycled plastic bottles, the rest of the vehicle uses less chemicals and paint than regular vehicles. A new Exatec coating protects the glass outside, preventing it from scratching and also reflecting heat to keep the inside cool.


Plastics’ other advantages besides making the weight of the car lighter and improving its fuel efficiency is that it is also more durable than metal, which can rust and wear. And while a more fuel-efficient vehicle that costs less seems appealing, there is also the downside. One example is the design of the new car by Tata, which will be first seen in India. It is expected that in a country of 1.1 billion people, sales of small cars are expected to double to two million in the next three years. This means double the air pollution and double the already crowded roadways.

So is designing a lightweight plastic affordable car going to be the answer to tomorrow’s transportation problems? It’s hard to tell, but one thing is sure, it is a trend that is here to stay.