Cars Made from 90% Plastic? Yes, There is One

Forget banning plastic bags in supermarkets here. When it comes to vehicles, the more plastic they have the better--or so says the University of Tokyo scientists who just created a car made of 90-percent plastic.

According to Foreignpolicyi.org  the Japanese inventors used different sources to strengthen the vehicle's structure. This makes it lighter compared to the average vehicles. What's more, it lessens fuel consumption, allowing drivers to save money in the process.

Generally, the cars we have today are mainly made from steel, which is bulky and heavy to begin with. Now, add up a mixture of other materials like glass, rubber, copper wires, some tin, cobalt, platinum, lead batteries, (and some humans), and things can get quite hefty.

Using plastics not only solves weight, but also makes a car more durable because it prevents corrosion. What's more, it lessens noise and provides good heat insulation.

Best in Safety

One thing that plastics really excel at is vehicle safety--especially those that belong in the Polymer family like polycarbonate, polyropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyurethane, and polyamides. These materials are often mixed in glass fibers to create an extremely tough material that's capable of absorbing more than four times the energy of a fast-moving vehicle on impact.

These plastics also make laminated glass shatter-proof--or even bullet proof. And it's not just seen in glass. Most seat belts, airbags, and child restraints use polymers to make them ultra strong.

We're just starting to scratch the surface of what plastics can do. You can learn more about automotive plastics here.