Friedrichshafen, Germany — As much as new concept vehicles can be exciting and stimulating, many never reach the market, or only some of their features do. But they can still be examples for new applications for plastics, and some vehicles at this year's IAA auto show in Frankfurt, Germany, include innovations that use materials from Fakuma exhibitors.
Citroën first introduced its C4 Cactus concept in 2013, with soft protective plastic “air bumps” on the doors and at the front & rear. That first C4 Cactus model went into production in 2014. But at this year's IAA show, in September, there was a new development of the Cactus, a fun car with no roof and drain holes in the floor for rainwater to escape called the Cactus M.
It too has air bumps applied around the car, but on a lightweight plastic door in an as yet unspecified material. Citroën speaks however of the “molded plastic monoblock [single-piece] door having visible hinges, like a classic jeep-like car nearly 50 years ago.
The Méhari was a 555 kilogram light car with a 2CV chassis produced between 1968 and 1987, used a body in ABS plastic.
The Cactus M plastic door implies some different type of fixing for the air bumps will be applied than what has been used on the current C4 Cactus metal doors. In any event, we may expect to see at least some of the same suppliers on the Cactus M, including plastics processor Rehau, which has been molding the C4 Cactus large-side door air bumps since April 2014 at its Spanish site in Tortosa for delivery to PSA in Madrid, while Faurecia produces the smaller front and rear air bumps.
