Last year, Americans bought a record 17.6 million cars and trucks, and the average vehicle has about 300 pounds of plastic in it. Plastics are used in cars and trucks for many different reasons. They can be strong and lightweight, which helps save fuel. They can be molded into different shapes, which helps make cars and trucks more aerodynamic. They can be made to resist heat and cold, which helps protect passengers and electronic components.
And they can be made to absorb shock, which helps protect people in the event of a collision. Many different types of plastics are used in cars and trucks, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl chloride. Each has unique properties that make it well-suited for specific applications. One of the most important applications for plastics in cars and trucks is in the body panels. Plastic body panels are often lighter than metal body panels, which helps improve fuel economy. And because they can be molded into different shapes, they can help improve a vehicle’s aerodynamics. Another important application for plastics in cars and trucks is in the interior. Plastics are used for the dashboard, door panels, and seats.
They are often used because they are lightweight and moldable. And because they can resist heat and cold, they can help make the interior of a car or truck more comfortable for passengers. Plastics are also used in the electrical system of a car or truck. They are often used for wiring harnesses and connectors. And because they can resist heat and cold, they can help protect the electronic components from damage. In the past, plastics were often used for car parts that were not visible to the customer, such as the underbody panels.
But now, plastics are being used more and more for parts that are visible to the customer, such as the body panels and the interior. This is because plastics can be molded into different shapes, which allows for more design flexibility. And because they are often lighter than metal, they can help improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.
The use of plastics in cars and trucks is expected to grow in the future. This is because plastics offer many advantages over other materials, such as metal. They are often lighter, which helps improve fuel economy.
They can be molded into different shapes, which helps improve a vehicle’s aerodynamics. They can resist heat and cold, which helps protect passengers and electronic components. And they can absorb shock, which helps protect people in the event of a collision.
