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Flower power: Ford interiors made of tropical plant

The door bolsters inside Ford's latest Escape SUV will be made with a tropical plant called kenaf, offsetting 300 pounds of oil-based reins per year. The SUV will be 85 percent recyclable.

Martin LaMonica Former Staff writer, CNET News
Martin LaMonica is a senior writer covering green tech and cutting-edge technologies. He joined CNET in 2002 to cover enterprise IT and Web development and was previously executive editor of IT publication InfoWorld.
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Martin LaMonica
Kenaf plants have long fibrous stalks that can be converted into paper or, as it turns out, SUV door bolsters.
Kenaf plants have long fibrous stalks that can be converted into paper or, as it turns out, SUV door bolsters. Ford

Carmakers' pursuit of fuel efficiency and sustainability is moving to auto interiors.

Ford said today that its upcoming Escape SUV will sport door bolsters made of kenaf, a flowering tropical plant. The company estimates using a plant-based material will offset 300,000 pounds of oil-based resins this year.

The door bolsters will be 25 percent lighter and so help improve fuel efficiency as well. They will be a 50-50 mix of kenaf and polypropylene and be made by Indiana-based supplier International Automotive Components.

Kenaf plants grow long stems like bamboo. The fiber can be processed into different materials, such as rope or paper.

Ford is using different types of materials, including soy gaskets and seals and seat covers made of recycled plastic as part of its sustainability efforts. The company said 85 percent of the Escape due this spring will be recyclable.