Tequila and cars don’t seem like a good pairing at first glance.
But Ford and Jose Cuervo just announced an unlikely partnership. Their mission: To make car parts out of agave byproducts.
Ford said in a press release that it hopes to create a sustainable bioplastic material out of the agave plant after the juice has been extracted to make tequila.
The company said it hopes to use the material to make car parts such as wiring harnesses, storage bins, and cup holders. The new bioplastic could also make cars lighter and more fuel efficient.
Ford says this is just the latest push in its effort to become more sustainable.
The company already turns carbon dioxide into plastic, and builds its vehicles using material from soy foam, castor oil, wheat straw, cellulose, wood, coconut fiber and rice hulls.
“There are about 400 pounds of plastic on a typical car,” said Ford’s senior technical leader, Debbie Mielewski. “Our job is to find the right place for a green composite like this to help our impact on the planet. It is work that I’m really proud of, and it could have broad impact across numerous industries.”
