Materials in motion: Plastic

Plastic is perhaps the most common material used in the interior of mainstream vehicles.

Due to its low cost and flexible properties, plastic can create not only its own, unique appearance, but can also be made to mimic the appearance of other materials such as leather.

Materials in Motion: Glass
Materials in Motion: Carbon Fibre
Materials in Motion: Metal
Materials in Motion: Leather
Materials in Motion: Wood

Properties

The word ‘plastic’ is a generic term that refer to any number of organic polymers that can be softened, moulded and then set into countless different shapes and textures. This malleability, together with its low cost of manufacture, durability and invulnerability to corrosion, makes plastic a material idea for automotive use.

Utilising the unique properties of plastic

Plastic’s versatility means that automakers can use it as a material that stands on its own, or use it to mimic something else.

One of the unique properties of plastic is its ability to be dyed in countless colours whilst retaining a.

vibrant appearance and glossy texture. Several manufacturers have used this property to increase the customisability of their vehicle or to define a certain character.

The 2013 Opel Adam (above) is a great example of this. The broad plastic strip running across the dashboard can be coloured in multiple ways, with the yellow (top image) colour accenting the otherwise dark interior to develop a sporty, youthful character. Meanwhile, the bottom image demonstrates how the same plastic strip, now in light purple, harmoniously complements the mauve seats and upper dashboard to develop a more fashionable appearance. 

In this way, the use of plastic can allow the automaker to tailor the vehicle to the customer’s taste, which can be especially relevant to the younger, more fashion savvy customer demographic that purchase small vehicles such as the Opel Adam.

Using plastic to mimic other materials

Automakers often also utilise the versatility of plastic to substitute for other materials such as leather, wood and metal. This allows them to reduce the cost of production whilst maintaining a modicum of the quality or luxury that using the genuine material would give. In this writer’s view, however, plastic that is used to mimic another material creates a tacky appearance that in reality cheapens and is detrimental to the feel of the interior.

The 2015 Toyota Camry (above) is a prime example of this. To create the appearance of a leather dashboard, injection moulded white plastic ‘stitching’ is glued onto coarse plastic. Whilst on first glance this may give a premium appearance, on the whole it simply develops a fake character that, in some ways, assumes the customer is foolish enough to mistake plastic for genuine leather.

Conclusions

For manufacturers, the versatility of plastic is a double-edged sword. Whilst the material offers several unique properties that automakers can take advantage of to enhance the character and customisability of their car, they must also avoid overusing the material as a substitute for more genuine options. Doing so will help prevent the interior from developing a tacky, fake impression on the customer.

What do you think - is plastic a necessary evil? Tell us what you think in the comments.