Eat a Ford Fusion; save the world

Several years ago I saw a Ford Model T made of gingerbread in Dearborn, Mich., in a hotel lobby where a bunch of auto journalists were being wined and dined for a Ford press event. We laughed when a fat guy reached across the velvet rope to pick a gumdrop from one of the candy fenders. He smiled coyly back at us and popped the treat into his mouth. Little did we know he may have been on to something. Last month I found myself surrounded by media at a Ford press dinner, when the menu was “parts of a Ford Fusion.” The three-course meal was the real thing, not a gingerbread car or confectionary model in sight. This meal was being specially prepared for us because each dish was made with the sustainable ingredients Ford plans to use to replace plastics in their cars: soy beans, coconut, dandelions and wheat straw. “We have been working with an ever-increasing list of collaborators – chemical companies, universities, suppliers and others – to maximize efforts and develop as many robust, sustainable materials as possible for the 300 pounds of plastic on an average vehicle,” said Dr. Debbie Mielewski, technical leader of Ford’s Materials Research and Innovation team. For an appetizer we started with soy beans, turnips and their greens in paprika broth. Next was a starter of wheat berry and long cooked dandelion green and salad. The entrée was steamed pumpkin with toasted coconut and cashew brown butter. The “parts” were all delicious. Even dandelions, known as hobo roses to the severely under classed, were enjoyed by everyone. There we sat, shoulder to shoulder munching on the Soylent Green Fusion, exchanging pleasantries as if everything were perfectly normal. The Fat Man’s unsettling smile flashed through my mind. He was driving the gingerbread Model T down a road made of chocolate, laughing maniacally, red-faced and vindicated. Still it was still hard not to wonder if Ford’s public relations department had lost their minds over a ‘green’ publicity stunt. A pencil made out of recycled denim was placed next to everyone’s plate, unsharpened, as if we were expected to eat it too and write about how the block of Levi’s in our small intestines was good for the environment. Where was the proof this wasn’t crazy?! On the walls of course, where there were posters explaining why the ingredients in our dinner were being used in Ford vehicles: SOY Soy is the big boss in Ford’s effort to manufacture cars with sustainable materials. The 2013 Ford Fusion uses about 31,250 soybeans, primarily for foam in the seats. Ford first used soy-based foam in the 2007 Mustang, although Henry Ford himself first experimented with the magic bean and other sustainable materials in the 1930s. Today Ford uses soy foam on every vehicle built in North America, reducing petroleum usage 5 million pounds annually and CO2 by 20 million pounds. WHEAT STRAW Wheat straw reinforces plastic, such as in the rear door bins on the Ford Flex. The straw reduces petroleum usage by 20,000 pounds per year and CO2 emissions by 30,000 pounds per year. COCONUTS Coconut husks, which are coconut shells ground into powder and a coconut fiber byproduct called coir are also being used as reinforcement for molded plastics. For an added bonus coconuts are naturally ultraviolet- and mildew-resistant as well as flame retardant. As an agricultural waste or byproduct they don’t compete with production of alternative fuels or food chains. DANDELIONS The golden lawn-wrecker is finding redemption in Ford vehicles as a natural rubber alternative for cup holders, floor mats and interior trim applications. Ford is partnering with Ohio State University’s Agricultural Research and Development Center to develop the Russian Dandelion for the new rubber. DENIM The 2013 Fusion uses the material equivalent of two average sized recycled American blue jeans as a sound deadener to reduce noise, vibration and harshness. It wasn’t explained what constitutes “American-sized” but let’s not pretend that doesn’t mean fat. PLASTIC BOTTLES Select cloth-seat Fusions contain the equivalent of 38.9 recycled clear plastic bottles in the seat fabric. The bottles are collected, chopped, ground, melted and reformulated into chips which are then extruded and textured into fiber to be used in the creation of fabric. Scraps from the process are recycled back into the system to further eliminate waste. Besides the environmental benefits these tasty green materials also save Ford quite a bit of money. The cost of producing the 300 pounds of non-sustainable plastics on the average car is tied directly to the cost of the petroleum used in the manufacturing process. When Ford began to seriously commit research to the development of sustainable materials in the early 2000s, a barrel of oil cost $16.65. In early 2012 a barrel hit a high of $109.77. “When we first started talking about this stuff 10 years ago, it was mainly automotive and trade magazines showing interest in our research,” said Mielewski. “We were left alone to get creative, take our time and figure out where and how these – and future – sustainable materials might fit into our vehicles and processes.” From its head start, Ford is now sitting pretty as an automotive leader of using sustainable materials. Its progress is good for the environment, cuts back on production costs and makes for unexpected public relations events that turn out to be much more appetizing then they initially appear on paper. As icing on the cake the partially edible 2013 Ford Fusion won Green Car of the Year at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show for offering a groundbreaking option list of fuel-efficient powertrain options. That’s great to hear, but I’m still not eating my pencil.