CARS POWERED BY AGAVE

GENERALLY SPEAKING, alcohol and cars do not mix at all, particularly when it comes to consumption. But when it comes to manufacturing, well that could be about to change. Ford is teaming up with Jose Cuervo and investigating whether the agave plant, used to make tequila, can also be used to make cars. Researchers at Ford looking into sustainable bioplastics are testing the properties of the bits of agave plants left over when tequila is made. The heart of the agave plant is roasted and ground down to extract its juices for distillation. The leftover fibers are currently used as compost. But the material could very well end up in wiring harnesses, storage bins or other components of Ford cars of the future. Ford already uses soy foam, castor oil, wheat straw, kenaf fiber, cellulose, wood, coconut fiber and rice hulls in its cars, cutting down on the use of petrochemical products like plastic.