As the world’s first auto maker, Mitsubishi has announced it developed a technique that lets the company use bamboo fibers in automotive interiors for reinforcement. What may sound weird at first, has a serious background. Mitsubishi wants to reduce CO2 emissions by using plant-based materials in its cars.
The company is cutting bamboos into strips, removing the joints and finally crushing them. After that, hot steam is used to loosen the fibers, resulting in “green” material that can be used instead of artificial material. The first cars in which bamboo fibers were used as tailgate trim in several iMiEV models rolled out in February this year.
Mitsubishi claims compared to existing materials, the material made of a combination of the bamboo fibers with plant-based urethane resins leads to a reduction of 28% in lifecycle CO2. A 51% reduction can be reached by missing the bamboo fibers with PBS (polybutylene succinate) resins.