Toyota plans to increase use of plant-derived, carbon-neutral plastics in more vehicle models, starting with a new hybrid vehicle next year. The newly developed plastics, collectively known as “Ecological Plastic”, are to be used in scuff plates, headliners, seat cushions and other interior vehicle parts. Within 2009, Toyota aims for Ecological Plastic to account for approximately 60 percent of the interior components in vehicles that feature it.
Ecological Plastic adequately meets the heat-resistance and shock-resistance demands of vehicle interiors through the use of various compounding technologies, such as those allowing molecular-level bonding and homogeneous mixing of plant-derived and petroleum-derived raw materials. Being equal to conventional plastics in terms of quality and productivity, Ecological Plastic can be used in production vehicles.
