Ford Turns Plastic Bottles Into Carpets For the EcoSport

Since it was launched in 2012, the EcoSport “has provided a new lease of life for more than 650 million 0.5-liter bottles.” Their combined weight is 8,262 metric tons, and in terms of length, those bottles would stretch twice around the Earth. But the EcoSport isn’t a first in this regard.

Ford started using recycled plastic in the Mondeo more than two decades ago. These days, 1.2 billion bottles are recycled by the Blue Oval every year. “We have long been on a mission to increase the proportion of recycled and renewable materials that are used in every new car we make,” said materials engineer Tony Weatherhead.

If you were wondering how a plastic bottle turns into a carpet for the EcoSport, the process starts by shredding those bottles and caps into flakes. Heating the plastic to 260 degrees Celsius melts the material, which is then formed into fibers as thin as human hair. Finally, the fibers are spun into yarns, which are then woven into the crossover’s carpets.

For the European market, the EcoSport is manufactured at the Craiova plant in Romania. The former stronghold of Daewoo and Oltcit also makes EcoBoost engines, and sometime in 2020, the Puma will join the EcoSport in the showrooms. Based on the platform of the Fiesta, the Puma takes its name from a front-wheel-drive coupe.

Switching over to the United States, the EcoSport is on the expensive side of subcompact crossovers at $19,995 before destination. Manufactured in India, this model is more expensive than the likes of the Hyundai Kona ($19,240) and Kia Soul ($17,490 excluding delivery).

The biggest problem with the EcoSport, however, is rear legroom. Only children would find the rear seats comfortable on longer journeys, and the trunk isn’t too large either.