Depending on how badly I fail trying to cook it, my tofu usually has either a squishy or a spongy texture. Maybe this was the source of Ford's latest eco-friendly inspiration: using soy to make the foam in their seat cushions. Working with the automotive seating gurus of the Lear Corporation, Ford will debut this new technology in its 2008 Ford Mustang.

Ford and Lear have already worked together on incorporating soy-based polyols into their foam headrest and armrests. Soy foam contains renewable material, and requires less energy and produces fewer CO2 emissions than traditional auto foams, which are 100% petroleum-based.

The average car made today contains about 30 pounds of petroleum-based foam; the worldwide market is 9 billion pounds per year. So if everyone started using soy-foam, just imagine the possibilities!

Ford's press release noted that using soy foam can "[reduce] dependence on volatile energy markets." On the other hand...we are talking about cars here, aren't we?

Via AutoblogGreen