Mercedes A-Klasse Uses Natural Fibers in Underbody Protection

German auto giant DaimlerChrysler has been using natural fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal and coconut in the interior of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles for many years. Now the company announced the first use of natural fibers in a standard part for a car exterior, namely processed abaca banana plant replacing glass fibers in underbody protection.

This means abaca fibers are now used in the standard underbody cover for the spare-wheel compartment of the 3-door version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Klasse model.

The company explains that by using abaca fibers, up to 60% of the energy can be saved as compared to when producing glass fibers, thus significantly reducing CO2 emissions in the manufacturing phase of the raw materials. Moreover, the waste material can be used as an organic fertilizer.

Manila Cordage, a Philippine producer of semi-finished materials, supplies the fibers of the musa textilis plant, which is related to the banana. The components are manufactured by Rieter, an automotive supplier in Switzerland.

“We applied our know-how from other projects in the development of abaca components over several years, and subjected the material to the strictest functional tests. A precondition for use in series production is that a component made of natural fibers fulfills the same strict criteria as conventional components,” explained Herbert Kohler.

“We are the only automobile manufacturer to use natural fibers in the exterior of a vehicle, with the cover for the spare-wheel compartment of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. We are therefore making full use of this material’s potential and contributing to the success of the abaca project, which we are supporting in the Philippines,” he added.