Car-makers going green

THE average car is made from a variety of steels, plastics and glass but several car-makers are now turning to bio-degradable materials to give their cars unusual design features.

Some of the concept vehicles on show at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show showed in which direction car-makers are looking.

One example is the Citroen C-Cactus concept vehicle in the format of the Citroen C4 which is built with several materials that are bio-degradable, reduce weight and save costs, according to the French car-maker.

'The floor upholstery is made from recycled leather made from leather residue that normally cannot be used by tanneries,' spokesman Thomas Albrecht.

While the seats are made of hardened foam, many other parts are made of cork and the door and dashboard surface materials of untreated, recyclable wool.

Fiat's Panda Aria is painted all in green and is also made of natural materials. The seat coverings are made of linen, coconut and cotton.

The exterior panels are made of eco-resin painted with environmentally-friendly paints, according to spokesman Thomas Kern, meaning that certain car parts can end up on the compost heap instead of the scrap yard at the end of its lifecycle.

The same applies to the seat coverings used by Mazda. The Japanese car-maker said in Hiroshima that it has developed the first textiles for production cars that consist of 100 per cent plant materials and include no oil-based plastics.

The materials are also fire-proof. The seats will be featured for the first time in a hydrogen-powered van that will make its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Surface materials in cars must not only be eco-friendly, but have look luxurious as this contributed significantly to the feeling of well-being in a car, according to Astrid Schafmeister from the car parts supplier Johnson Controls.

The company presented two processes that give the cars a luxurious look at the Frankfurt show.

The parts are covered with a special, multi-coloured foil.

The Johnson Control designers emphasize contrasting light and dark colours to achieve a 'cocoon effect'.

'It gives the driver a protected feeling amid all the chaos in city traffic,' according to Ms Schafmeister.

Kia with its Kee model illustrates how well a sporty impression can be created. The entire interior has been covered with a silk- like, micro-fibre material that feels like leather.

'And the seats are covered with a metallic net-fibre,' says designer Salome Etienne.

But not only the large manufacturers like Fiat, Citroen or Kia are looking at new materials.

Even sports car-maker Bugatti is thinking in a new direction with its special series Pur Sang based on the Veyron.

CEO Franz-Josef Paeffgen points out that a special customer wish was granted with the designers abstaining entirely from exterior paints.

The basic bodywork has the natural matte colour of the carbon fibre while all the other parts shine in aluminium.

The eco-idea of course was not the nub of the concept, but it caught on.

All five vehicles sold - each at a price of $1.9 million plus tax - 24 hours after the super sports car was presented at the Frankfurt show.