Ford To Use Tequila Byproduct For Car Parts

American automaker Ford Motor Company and Jose Cuervo, a Mexican tequila manufacturer founded in 1795 and the maker of the best-selling tequila in the world are teaming up to make greener cars.

Tequila is made after roasting, grinding and then distilling the extracted juice from the Agave plant, which has a minimum growing cycle of seven years. Jose Cuervo uses some of the remaining agave fibers for manure and local artisans use it to make crafts and agave paper from the rest.

Now Ford is teaming up with the Tequila maker to usethe remnant fibers to make a bio-plastic which can be used to make internal and external car parts like such as wiring harnesses, HVAC units, and storage bins. Initial assessments suggest the material holds great promise due to its durability and aesthetic qualities.

The material could soon make its way into future Ford cars. Ford already uses eight sustainable-based materials in its vehicles including soy foam, castor oil, wheat straw, kenaf fiber, cellulose, wood, coconut fiber and rice hulls.