Through electric energy utilization, sustainable materials, and eco-friendly manufacturing, Lexus is bringing a sustainable mobility society into actual reality. In 2008, Lexus began using bamboo as a signature material in its concept cars, and today bamboo has become a signature in its production vehicles as part of its innovative vision of car-making that helps protect the environment. Bamboo also exemplifies Lexus' commitment to sustainability through the recycling of precious environmental resources.
At the recent JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW, Lexus introduced the Bamboo CMF1 Concept featuring bamboo textiles and interior door panels. Group Manager Momoko Okamoto, who leads the CMF design team explained, “In addition to insisting upon the use of sustainable materials, our goal is to provide an 'omotenashi' experience personalized to suit the lifestyles of Lexus customers.”
1 Color, Material, Finish. Indicates design elements (colors, materials, finishes) in car-making.
A NATURAL FIT
Bamboo grows ten times faster than normal timber and can be used for production materials in about three years. This fast growth, along with bamboo‘s ability to absorb and fix large amounts of CO2 as it grows, means that it has huge potential for supporting a carbon neutral society. It is no wonder that bamboo was chosen as a signature design material, as it exemplifies Lexus' commitment to sustainability.
While bamboo is a natural fit for its sustainability goals, Lexus faced several hurdles in making it suitable for automotive parts, such as load bearing capability and resistance to heat and humidity. As a result, Lexus developed a series of processes whereby the bamboo undergoes dry distillation and steam treatment to stabilize it as a material, after which it is processed into lamina, aggregating it parallel to the fiber direction before bonding. This new process also revealed the necessity of having a stable supply of bamboo on hand to ensure a sustainable manufacturing process.
A FOREST OF POSSIBILITIES
The bamboo used by Lexus in its manufacturing process is “Mousou-chiku”, which is produced in Kochi Prefecture. Located on the island of Shikoku, southwest of Japan’s mainland, Kochi boasts some 4,544 hectares of bamboo forest (as of March 2017), and once had a flourishing bamboo industry. But with Japan’s industrialization of farming and the increase of imported bamboo shoots and plastic products, demand for Japan’s bamboo had fallen. Lexus quickly stepped in and began a partnership with Miroku Techno Wood in Kochi and Tokai Rika Group to explore the potential for using bamboo for its interior materials, such as door panels and steering wheels.
The initiative not only improved the overall manufacturing process, it increased employment opportunities and cooperation in the region. Miroku Techno Wood's president, Koki Katayama, explained the concept of “Kochi Family,” a moniker that expressed the familial-like closeness of everyone in the region. This ability to transcend industry and organizational boundaries to enable collaboration truly embodies the meaning of “Kochi Family.”
WONDERING WHAT’S NEXT
With all of these initiatives already in full implementation, Lexus is dreaming of how to further develop new materials that contribute to the building of a sustainable society. As the era of the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) emerges, they are also focused on how hardware and software working together can redefine the individual driving experience. This synergy is just another example of how Lexus continues to imagine a future full of infinite, and highly sustainable, mobility possibilities.
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