As part of its overall effort to make vehicles more sustainable, Ford is making the material inside the door — known as the bolster — in part from kenaf.
Kenaf is a tropical plant that looks similar to bamboo and is related to cotton. The plant replaces oil-based materials inside the doors of the Escape.
Ford says the use of kenaf is anticipated to offset 136,000 kilograms of oil-based resin per year in North America; use of this eco-friendly material reduces the weight of the door bolsters by 25%. Weight savings translate into fuel savings for drivers.
“Kenaf and the other renewable materials in the Escape have made the vehicle more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient,” says Laura Sinclair, materials engineer for the Escape.
Kenaf oil is used in cosmetics and kenaf fibre is used as an alternative to wood in the production of paper. The upper leaves and shoots of the plant are edible.
The kenaf is combined with polypropylene in a 50/50 mixture inside the Escape’s door.
