Reducing vehicle weight remains one of the most direct ways to lower energy consumption and emissions, according to Forvia, which is applying a range of material and process technologies across its interiors and lighting businesses to cut mass at the component level.
Less weight means less energy is required to move a vehicle, with the benefit scaling across millions of vehicles and kilometers. Forvia uses its NFPP (natural fiber polypropylene) composites, Microjet Advanced and MuCell technologies to use less material, carry less weight and emit less CO2.
NFPP is a composite material combining up to 50% natural plant fibers, primarily French-grown hemp, with a polypropylene base. Produced as a flat mat and compression-molded into interior components such as door panels and trunk liners, it has been in production for more than two decades.
Compared with conventional all-plastic parts, NFPP components can be up to 50% lighter, with a similar reduction in CO2 footprint. The most advanced version, NAFILean-R, combines 20% hemp fibers with a polypropylene matrix made from 40% recycled plastic, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 87% versus standard industry materials. In configurations using a fully recycled PP matrix, the CO2 balance becomes net negative.
Additional savings come from low-waste design approaches, including optimizing part geometry to maximize material yield and re-grinding production waste for reuse.
Alongside material substitution, Forvia is also reducing weight through process innovation. Microjet Advanced and MuCell both use microcellular injection molding, in which gas, typically nitrogen or CO2, is dissolved in molten plastic under high pressure. When injected into a mold and the pressure drops, the gas forms millions of microscopic bubbles, creating a component with a solid outer skin and foamed core.
This structure maintains mechanical strength while reducing weight, with the foaming agent derived from gas rather than chemical additives.
In interiors, Microjet Advanced builds on this process with additional design and tooling developments, delivering weight savings of 15-25% per component. One element is bio-inspired engineering, drawing on structures such as dragonfly wings and bone, where material is minimized but load-bearing efficiency is maintained through ribbing and hollow sections. This approach alone delivers 10-20% weight reduction through design.
A ceramic tool coating also addresses surface defects traditionally associated with foam molding, enabling visually acceptable finishes for passenger-facing parts and reducing the need for separate design strategies for visible and structural components.
The system uses a single polypropylene grade, enabling mechanical recycling without material separation.
In lighting applications, MuCell is combined with slimmer designs and part reduction. Forvia Hella’s Sustainable Headlamp concept achieves up to a 70% lower CO2 footprint across the lifecycle, with a 2kg headlamp rather than a conventional 5kg unit, without additional cost to customers.
The full version of this article by Forvia was originally published on Forvia.com
