While plenty of automakers around the world have started using recycled/renewable materials to make their products “greener,” leave it to GMC to take things to the next level. Not only do the eco-friendly materials in offerings like the 2011 Terrain help improve the environment, but they also help improve the vehicles themselves.
For example, the Terrain has one of the quietest cabins in its segment, with GMC able to boast that “At 70 miles per hour, Terrain’s interior is quiet enough to allow conversation in normal tones of voice.” And a key enabler to achieving this kind of quietness is GMC’s extensive use of renewable materials for sound insulation in the Terrain.
Take the rigid substrate between the Terrain’s steel roof and soft-fabric headliner, made using fiber from the kenaf plant for reinforcement: This material is grown using sustainable cultivation methods and can be rapidly renewed. It’s also hollow, like bamboo, which makes it ideal for sound damping, and it’s light in weight, which helps reduce the Terrain’s overall mass and contributes to its segment-best fuel-efficiency ratings of 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway/26 mpg combined. The kenaf-reinforced substrate even requires less energy to manufacture than traditional materials.
Further highlights of the Terrain’s commitment to an eco-friendly future include:
- Acoustic insulation used in the vehicle’s dashboard, carpet, cargo area and other body sections is made out of cotton and polyester recycled from materials like jeans and carpeting.
- The Terrain’s grille frame is made from recycled plastic from soft-drink and water bottles.
- Scrap from producing the sound absorbers in the vehicle’s doors are used to help make air baffles in the GMC Sierra and GMC Yukon.
- All GMC vehicles, including the Terrain, are at least 85 percent recyclable by weight.
“We’re not just using renewable and recycled materials for the sake of being ‘green,’” said Lora Herron, GM bio and recycled materials engineer. “They often are more energy efficient to manufacture than parts made from virgin materials, and they can be lighter weight as well, which helps improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.”
You must log in to post a comment.