Cutting Petroleum-Based Parts in New Cars

October 7, 2005

    October 7, 2005 -- A report from Sweden this week indicated that Volvo officials do not expect oil prices to drop significantly in the future, giving rise to an emerging plan to build vehicles that avoid petroleum-based materials in favor of ?sustainable? resources that can be renewed in a lifetime.
    Instead of door inserts made from plastics refined from petroleum, Volvo is now developing the same panels made from wood.
    Other renewable materials capable of replacing petroleum-based vehicle components include: cloth made from wool and hemp, plastic trim made from wood cellulose, and seat cushions and sound deadening made from soy foams.
    Volvo and rival auto makers are all working on various ways to incorporate more natural and renewable materials into future vehicles.

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