8 L i' o6 n7 M此种汽车座椅将由汽车零组件供应商李尔公司制造，它是首家采用全部可回收材料制造座椅的厂商。 " i+ X/ R- w( T9 ~* N/ O / Z+ Q. P$ t* ^% c9 T3 K4 [李尔公司资深副总裁史考特表示：「采用可再生资源，是提供能降低对环境冲击汽车配备的重要途径。此举也有助於降低生产汽车材料对环境造成的污染。」( j# @" \( |* J) D0 _! s
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$ a- C, w/ ]0 n" z; TFord Mustang to be 1st to use soy foam in seats6 ]/ N+ M& V2 l# N
July 13, 2007/ @: n" _8 i/ y5 ]% l( @$ |/ ~
& ]2 M# }% C/ s9 ~3 G% }The Ford Mustang, a sports car known more for its performance than Earth consciousness, is slated to be the first production vehicle to use soy-based foam in its seats, Ford Motor Co. said Thursday. 2 U7 P2 ]3 _% y7 h5 X( \5 a6 D, ~1 `0 _& A* u
Ford worked with the Southfield-based seat maker Lear Corp. on the technology, which replaces a portion of the petroleum used to make foam with soybean oil.( m- Z, {$ E, A9 w/ Z+ I
2 q2 D3 u& T1 ~: W+ w tThe technology takes less energy to produce, so it emits less CO2 into the atmosphere. Soybean oil-based foam represents 6% of the materials used for the seat back and cushions, with both companies viewing it as a first step for the technology in a mass market.% ~$ h3 B5 C& g5 S7 f- n
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The price of soybean oil also is less volatile than that of petroleum./ e9 b8 c. Z( z
# V( W* A) C9 ?) _$ B- ? Z- N# b- `Ford chose the Mustang because it allowed the new seats to go into production sooner -- as early as next month for 2008 models. 7 U: r. G+ F' } * w9 W, v6 |5 F2 ^% A' N- ^One of the biggest obstacles that Ford and Lear had to overcome was the foam's smell.% \7 R* [' E2 d1 N5 w0 W. R7 A4 Q( p
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Debbie Mielewski, Ford's technical leader of plastics research, likened the smell to burnt popcorn. ) f) F: k& g; O* T) g8 _% G1 n9 y* f " A$ B, t' J2 b$ XWhen hot, the foam also emitted oil fog that would have left a thin, clear residue on the windows. ! H( I1 R; b" K1 t* `5 R( J/ |5 s, o
The companies worked to make sure that "there was no difference in the product, except that it was green," in the sense of being better for the environment, said Jeff Frelich, Lear's director of research and development.0 e4 ^. F! F" R; Y ^, H( T3 Q
* Y8 A& ]4 J3 B; D# O. cFor Ford, the use of soy is a throwback to the days of founder Henry Ford, who used it to make paint and plastics on versions of the Model T. - W8 y5 l: G* ]3 a& p" ]4 ?8 N2 t0 j }5 Q& x
For Lear, it is evidence of innovation and progress, even as the company's ownership is in question.8 d0 I5 M& e* `) \' S: u6 e
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Lear management wants to take the company private by selling it to Carl Icahn. Some shareholders have come out against Icahn's offer to buy Lear for $37.25 a share, up from an initial offer of $36 per share. 1 w5 @# j& L) ]' b; B" ]& y 1 Z1 X- I/ Z0 {# _, Y# BTwo investor advisory firms said Thursday that shareholders should reject the higher offer. ; l3 j( O2 f% s& A% o5 q# R. x( r& v
The results of a shareholder vote on the issue are due Monday.
