Bayer Communication Center: Exhibition Room Transportation

Exhibition Room Transportation

More plastic, less fuel

LEV – K 67. The car that was given this license plate number in 1967 was a very special one: it was the first sports car made almost entirely of plastic. Only the motor, the transmission and the wheels still incorporated metal.

Visitors deliver peak performances on the BayKomm bicycle with the soft Technogel saddle

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Visitors deliver peak performances on the BayKomm bicycle with the soft Technogel saddle

The K67 naturally never became a production vehicle. It was just the expression of a vision entertained by ambitious engineers. Ironically, carmakers today are continuously getting closer to producing the plastic car. For example, the proportion of polymers in new cars is nearing 20 percent by weight. Plastics play a role in a range of parts, including seats, instrument panels, bumpers, center consoles, sound insulation in the engine compartment and reservoirs for brake fluid. High-tech polymers have also largely replaced glass in the front headlights. Today, plastics are even suitable for rear windows and transparent sunroofs.

Railway and air transportation likewise depend on polymer chemistry. For example, some street cars already run on "whispering rails". The polyurethane bed significantly reduces noise levels. The railway in India relies on polyurethane shock absorbers for its rail cars. In aircraft, special coatings are used that can withstand temperatures of 50 degrees below zero and strong ultraviolet radiation.

And there is another argument in favor of plastics in transportation vehicles: plastics are lightweight, so they reduce fuel consumption and thereby make a major contribution to conserving resources.