2008 Escape and Escape Hybrid Feature 100% Recycled Seating Surfaces
30 November 2006
The redesigned 2008 Escape and Escape Hybrid feature the first US automotive applications of 100% recycled fabric seating surfaces. The new fabric significantly exceeds Ford’s internal target of introducing seating fabrics with 25% recycled content into production by 2009.
The 2008 Escape’s new fabric is supplied by Atlanta-based InterfaceFABRIC Inc., a global leader in the manufacturing of environmentally responsible floor coverings and commercial fabrics. The bolster and seating fabrics—named “Eco” and “Nature”—are a dobby weave that is piece-dyed in six colorways exclusive to Ford. The fabric is constructed from a polyester created from off-quality soda bottle resin.
The fabric is a result of a collaboration between teams at Ford and InterfaceFABRIC, and features an innovation in backcoating technology that minimizes the use of commonly used flame retardants (decabrome and antimony trioxide) in favor of a new, phosphorous-based flame-retardant created by InterfaceFABRIC for Ford.
Using more sustainable fabric in production vehicles is yet another step in Ford Motor Company’s journey to long-term sustainability. Given the time and effort required to source, design and validate a new seat fabric, it’s a significant achievement to beat both our recycled-content target and our calendar deadline.
—Lisa Nicol, designer for Ford Color and Materials—Sustainability
Ford estimates that, eventually, more than 80,000 of its vehicles will feature the fabric. InterfaceFABRIC estimates that Ford’s use of post-industrial recycled materials, rather than virgin fibers, will conserve annually:
- 600,000 gallons of water;
- 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents; and
- The equivalent of more than 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity.
InterfaceFABRIC is a division of Interface, Inc., a leader in industrial ecology whose pursuit of Mission Zero—eliminating negative environmental impact by 2020—means that product and process come from an increasingly sustainable manufacturing environment.
Good to hear.
Posted by: pizmo | 30 November 2006 at 11:07 AM
Good alliance for Ford. Interface makes some great FLOR product alternative for comm & residential "mod" carpeting, too!
Posted by: fyi CO2 | 30 November 2006 at 11:55 AM
I am ready to buy a hybrid flex fuel Ford escape right NOW.
(a plug in option would be nice, and yes with a solar panel inlaid on the roof with those pop in place little windmills to power the battery all day in my parking space while I am at work all day.)
As long as some arab makes one less nickel, I am all about it.
SO why is it not on the market yet?
Posted by: dave devore | 30 November 2006 at 02:34 PM
And these are the sorts of improvements we'd expect to see more of if:
* Water gets treated more and more like a precious commodity and less like an entitlement
* A CO2 cap-and-trade program gets rolled out
* Energy prices go up
If policy can harmonize cost-cutting with ecologically responsible behavior, we'll see many improvemnts like this in the future.
Posted by: stomv | 30 November 2006 at 02:59 PM
Very encouraging. Of course it is hard not to compare Ford's announcement to GM's stunning promise to go to PHEV in year '09. Nice to see the competition to be green.
Posted by: gr | 30 November 2006 at 04:50 PM
Not feelin it. I won't be encouraged or impress until I see Ford put out some really sound mpg numbers on cars. Just take the ideas that Toyota and Honda are doing and backwards engine them. It isn't hard. I want to see smaller cars made with lighter material and less horse power with good reliability. Then I will be impressed. This isn't rocket science.
Posted by: paul | 30 November 2006 at 07:23 PM
''As long as some arab makes one less nickel, I am all about it.''
Nice bit of racism there, well done.
Posted by: James | 01 December 2006 at 01:26 AM
Dave-
You can't get away with wanting to keep money out of the arabs hands on this site. You could have said "Halliburton" and had a bunch of new friends though...
JRod.
Posted by: JRod. | 01 December 2006 at 02:45 AM
You could have said "Halliburton" and had a bunch of new friends though...
You want to give your money to Halliburton? Go right ahead.
Posted by: pizmo | 01 December 2006 at 06:28 AM
Didn't take long.
JRod.
Posted by: JRod. | 01 December 2006 at 06:50 AM
Didn't take long.
For you to reply with more flamebait? You're right.
So, would you like to answer my question? Do you like giving your money to Halliburton? Yes or no?
Posted by: pizmo | 01 December 2006 at 07:01 AM
lol ... piz'll take any bait that there for more than 3 minutes.
Posted by: Neil | 01 December 2006 at 07:24 AM
lol ... piz'll take any bait that there for more than 3 minutes.
And apparently you'll toss out insults for no reason at the drop of a hat, Neil. Did I hurt your feelings in some manner in a prior debate? You seem to be stinging from it.
Posted by: pizmo | 01 December 2006 at 08:11 AM
About those seats. It is good to see that the cycle complete for any material. My hope is that Ford does not have any problems with this new fabric in a couple of years and abandons this project when trouble hits.
More importantly, they should advertise this accomplishment so the average car buyer is aware of what they are sitting on....
Posted by: Bill | 01 December 2006 at 08:48 AM
I can see this sustainable US company making great automotive inroads- Ford does not have exclusive rights here.
Interface (symbol IFSIA) has a nice partnership with Subaru now, too.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/200610251143PR_NEWS_USPR_____NYW060.htm
Posted by: fyi CO2 | 01 December 2006 at 09:56 AM
wow, hit a nerve with the arab thing. Perhaps I worded this wrongly. I meant it in a nationalist sense. My concern is national interest and national security. i.e. growth of local US farmer be it corn or hopefully in the future switchgrass or US producer of solar panels or US windmills. Do you think we would be in the middle east if not for their oil? Yes, some bad people were taken out but then ask why we were not there for Rwanda. Where do you think the bad people get their money? Perhaps I should have said " as long as a citizen of the arab world makes one less nickel, I am all for it."
In my opinion, less business with the Arab world means a safer, more secure world with a better environment. A plug in flex fuel hybrid is just one small way to get there with my dollar vote. Love these blogs.
Posted by: dave devore | 01 December 2006 at 10:02 AM
Dave,
I knew what you meant, and I'm with you on this one. It's not racism to say that the Arab world and their crazy religion (i.e., Wahabism) is dangerous to our national security. Less oil dependence = a safer world!
Posted by: JamesEE | 01 December 2006 at 12:05 PM
Dave Devore,
Current agri/forestry waste, minus some of the crop waste to mitigate soil erosion, is another possible source of raw biomass.
_Tobacco, grown for biomass not smoking, could also be another, but it does not stand up well to frost or drought. Not using phosphate fertilizer would solve Polonium radiation problems (Alexander Litvinenko), but tobacco uses soil mineral nutrients faster vs many other plants. However, they will still grow well in poor soils, as long as it is well drained/prepared.
_There would still be the nicotine (neurotoxin) problem, since there are possible animal/human feed uses for low/no nicotine tobacco. Verification/identification of the plant matter chemistry would be paramount, since no farmer/company wants poisoned/dead chickens/cattle/humans on their hands.
http://www.lenntech.com/Periodic-chart-elements/Po-en.htm
Posted by: allen_Z | 01 December 2006 at 12:49 PM
I had heard a while back that Ford used recycled plastics for the insides of the bumper crush zones. Henry Ford long ago wanted to use bio materials for body panels and run his first cars on "wood alcohol" (methanol). He might have had some right ideas all along.
Posted by: SJC | 02 December 2006 at 04:09 PM