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If you thought GM sat on the EV and the HiWire....

Wikapedia exerpt on Henry Ford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford)

Henry Ford long had an interest in plastics developed from agricultural products, especially soybeans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean). He cultivated a working relationship with George Washington Carver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Carver) for this purpose, building him a laboratory specifically for researching alternative uses for agricultural products. Soybean-based plastics were used in Ford automobiles throughout the 1930s in plastic parts such as car horns, in paint, etc. This project culminated in 1942, when Ford patented an automobile made almost entirely of plastic, attached to a tubular welded frame. It weighed 30% less than a steel car, and was said to be able to withstand blows ten times greater than could steel. Furthermore, it ran on grain alcohol (ethanol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol)) instead of gasoline. The design never caught on.

What Happened?

Hi Chuck:

___Good question? I bet it had to do with the plastics shine or that it would scratch easily vs. metal? Whey did GM stop producing the Saturn’s w/ plastic body panels a few years back?

DuPont to Produce Polymers Made with Renewable Resources. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1284)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

What Happened?

They built automobiles with materials that weren't available to most of their customers, and powered it with fuels owned by a minority. If common/cheap materials were used to build/power automobiles, manufacturers would be hurting within a decade. Instead, they make bigger, slower, costly versions that are harder to repair and do great business. Pardon the crude analogy, but most people don't pay someone to wipe their ass because they can easily do it themselves.

I'd love to have a tube frame/lightly faired auto powered by fuels I grow on my own property, but it wouldn't make a whole lot of money for the people selling me the auto. Especially if someone decides to make molds and figures out the fairing mixture/material. Make an entire auto body for less than the cost of a metal quarter panel.

Viva la capitalisma! :Banane38:

Yes yes, I own a Prius and I'm biased.
But here's Toyota's venture into bioplastics which comprise some of the Prius parts:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/more_than_cars/bio_afforest/bio_plastic.html

There are some other non-automotive ventures on their site including green roofs and sweet potatoes.

Over sixty years is an eternity in the business world to put something in the concept stage to profitability. GM has had the HiWire, a 1973 hybrid Oldsmobile, and EV1, but six decades is plenty of time to put at least some of the things in the 1942 concept Ford into the marketplace.

Hi Chuck and Tony:

___And we both remember this one as well …

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/DuPont_Plastics.jpg

DuPont to Produce Polymers Made with Renewable Resources. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1284)

___There was a recent Ford article discussing plastics from renewables but I do not think I added it to news? I will snoop around a tad tonight and see what pops up.

___Good Luck

___Wayne