Plastics are a vital component in today’s automotive industry, offering lightweight, tough and low-cost alternatives to traditional materials. We work closely with leading automakers and suppliers worldwide to help reduce the weight of today’s automobiles. This improves fuel efficiency, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lowers manufacturing costs.

Key facts:

• Every pound of plastics and composites used to “lightweight” an automobile produces 2 to 3 pounds of weight savings in that vehicle. In fact, lighter-weight plastics are used extensively throughout the interior and across the exterior of today’s automobiles. It is estimated that a typical car in North America uses about 330 pounds of plastics and composites, replacing up to 835 pounds of metal or other heavy material. 

• According to the U.S. Department of Energy, every 10 percent reduction in a car’s weight improves fuel economy by 7 percent. It’s easy to see the significance if you consider that 28 percent of U.S. energy output is used to transport people and goods.

• In the United States, 26 automobiles are processed for recycling every minute. The use of recyclable plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene and thermoplastic vulcanizates in automotive design provides on average over 200 thousand tons of recyclable materials for use each year. This helps lower parts costs, reduces waste generation and provides design flexibility to original equipment manufacturers and “Tier One” suppliers.

• In addition to enabling weight, fuel and emissions savings, plastic reduces costs for manufacturers and consumers. For example, a plastic air intake manifold is 30 to 60 percent lighter and costs 30 percent less to manufacture.