Stuttgart, Germany - Mercedes-Benz has pioneered the first use of natural fibres as an exterior car component in its three-door A-Class, a compact model sold in several global markets. Although the company has used natural fibres such as flax, hemp, sisal and coconut in its interiors for many years, the abaca banana plant fibres used in the underbody cover for the spare tire compartment mark a first for exterior use. Full Article
I wonder if ot has that nice banana fragrance? Now if we could only get Toyota to ship Prius and other Toyotas with plant oil based plastics (like they were planning to do with the 2nd gen Prius) then we would really have something to get excited about.
The idea has appeal. Toyota bioplastics so far have been useful but not cosmetically showy. That is, they were used on underlying components out of view. I had thought they did make it into the current generation Prius. Back to the jokes: Mercedes-Benz like a banana. And you should see it slip through traffic when you step on it!
