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The auto market: staying ahead of the game

Total Petrochemicals modifies the properties of its polyethylene and polypropylene to suit the needs – present and future – of car makers and their parts suppliers.

Polypropylene (PP) is the synthetic material most widely used in the auto industry. Parts ranging from dashboards and door pockets to bumper bars (fenders) and spoilers are all likely to be PP. The plastic offers numerous advantages here: it reduces vehicle weight, prevents corrosion and diminishes driving noise. In addition, plastic-moulding techniques simplify assembly operations and offer new freedom to car designers.

In the very competitive automobile market, success depends on close partnership with both parts moulders and car makers. Two years before a new model is launched, Total Petrochemicals is already proposing innovative and economically attractive new materials.

VW-Audi, BMW, Daimler-Chrysler and Volvo already use our materials. Another example is the Mitsubishi Colt, where the same material is used for the whole interior.
The pay-off? Lower development and production costs and higher recyclability.




As for polyethylene (PE), its main use is in making vehicle fuel tanks. PE’s winning properties here are its resistance to deformation and perforation and its ability to resist explosion if the vehicle catches fire.

Some 93% of all cars on European roads now have fuel tanks made of PE, as do 70% of cars worldwide.

On the world auto market, Total Petrochemicals also plays as advisory role, particularly for parts makers.
Our technical teams begin contributing their materials know-how up to 40 months before a car actually goes into production, with the accent on the testing of future car parts.