Ford to use soy-based car seats

AFP, July, 2007

CHICAGO (AFP) — In an attempt to make the interior of its cars more environmentally friendly, Ford Motor Company plans to start using seats made with soy-based foam, the automaker said Thursday.

The first soy seats will appear in 2008 models of Ford's popular muscle car, the Mustang.

"Soy is a very green, renewable resource," Debbie Mielewsk, technical leader for Ford's materials research and advanced engineering department, said in a statement.

"Using soy-based foam gives us the opportunity to conserve natural resources and reduce our environmental footprint."

Most vehicle seats are made with an average of 13 ...