The club of insolvent and close-to-bankrupt businesses in the car industry is getting crowded. Edscha, a car roofing supplier for BMW and Rolls Royce, announced it’s joining the club due to the global car industry slump. Although it’s the first major new car parts supplier in Germany to do so.
An Edscha spokeswoman said they plan to continue functioning in the car market, but about 4,200 jobs in Europe will most likely get cut. The remaining 1,600 workers in America and Asia are not affected at this time.
Edscha was established in 1870, and was bought by the American equity firm, the Carlyle Group in 2002. The car parts manufacturer has sales of 1.08 billion Euros ($1.38 billion US), and employs about 6,000 people at 29 factories worldwide.
Resources
Reuters UK, “UPDATE 1-German car parts maker Edscha files for insolvency,” 02/02/09
Automotive News, Bettina Mayer, “Edscha files for bankruptcy in Germany,” 02/02/09
The latest addition to the list of lower-cost products that can be made into car parts includes coconuts. Yep, the delicious, abundant fruit of the tropics may just have another use. Baylor researchers have been developing technology that utilizes coconut fibers into several aspects of a vehicle’s interior including trunk liners, interior door covers, and floorboards.
The Baylor researchers said the mechanical properties of coconut fibers are just as good, if not better, than synthetic and polyester fibers when using them in automotive parts.1 They’re also less expensive, create a potentially better situation for poor coconut farmers, and better for the environment in several ways.
Coconuts also do not burn very well or give off toxic fumes, which is crucial in passing tests required for actual application in commercial automotive parts. The next step for Baylor researchers is to continue testing the coconut fiber car parts to ensure they meet the required safety performance specifications
Also see: Plastic and Other Ultra-Light Car Parts
Post your thoughts: Is the auto industry going through a paradigm shift, or are researchers just paying lip service to a changing world’s demands of lighter cars, more fuel-efficient cars and eco-friendly cars?
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1. Science Daily, “Researchers Create Car Parts from Coconuts,” Baylor University, 01/07/09
2. Yellows & Blues, “Coconut Fibers Make Car Parts,” Live Science, Azocleantech,
