Plastic on the outside

For many new vehicles, light weight is paramount, and so too is eye-catching design. That's why plastic body panels will become more prevalent.

Inside vehicles, plastics abound. Interiors represent the largest current use of plastics in automobiles, with nearly 50% of interior components made of polymers, according to the American Plastics Council (APC), a consortium of various resin manufacturers. Plastics have also staked significant claim underneath the hood and in fuel-tank applications.

While the average vehicle only uses about 250 lb (113 kg) of plastics, as opposed to 2100 lb (953 kg) of iron and steel, according to APC data, that figure stands to increase in the next decade or two as new applications emerge.