ARNSTADT, Germany—Engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems are developing a sodium-ion battery that uses lignin, a by-product of the wood and pulp industry, as an electrode.
CAMBRIDGE, MA—Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an electrolyte that can break apart at the end of a battery’s life.
SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden—Scania is exploring a new kind of bio-based rubber made from birch bark, a forest industry by-product that’s usually burned as waste. The goal is to evaluate low-carbon materials that could one day replace rubber made from petroleum.
Engineers at Ford Motor Co. are developing ways to turn branches, twigs and leaves that are discarded during olive harvesting into sustainable auto parts.
MLADÁ BOLESLAV, Czech Republic—The seats of ŠKODA’s new ENYAQ iV electric vehicle will be upholstered with fabric that combines wool with polyester made from recycled plastic bottles.
DEARBORN, MI—Drivers of the Ford Escape may be surprised to find out there is a plant inside the door. As part of its overall effort to make vehicles more sustainable, Ford is making the vehicle’s door bolster from the fibers of the kenaf plant.
