Parts of your future car could be made from olive trees

In Germany, olive trees bear a fruit that is consumed all over the world, as snacks, oil and tapenades. Now, Ford has explored using branches, twigs and leaves that are discarded during harvest for more sustainable auto parts. The trial was conducted as part of the COMPOlive project that is committed to delivering environmental change in olive production, using biocomposites instead of plastic, and supporting the circular economy.

Using olive tree waste for auto parts could both reduce the plastic used in such parts and support cleaner air in the local area by avoiding burning as a means of waste disposal. Engineers produced prototype footrests and parts of the boot area using olive tree waste. Testing has shown the parts produced are both robust and durable with Ford now evaluating the process for mass use, to potentially help deliver the next wave of electric vehicles.

For the trial, the waste materials were sourced from olive groves in Andalusia, Spain, the region with the highest production of olive oil in the world.