Skip to main content

Your next car will be made of pineapples and bananas

pineapple-banana-fruitScientists have developed a new fiber from fruits like pineapples and bananas that is almost as strong as Kevlar, the fiber used in bulletproof vests. The new fruity “nono-cellulose” fiber is so strong that researchers plan to use it to reinforce plastics like those used to make automobiles. The new fibers will help bring in an era of plastics that are stronger, lighter, and more environmentally friendly than those in use today, reports PhysOrg. Unfortunately, however, your new car probably won’t taste of citrus.

“The properties of these plastics are incredible,” said Alcides Leão, leader of the study, “They are light, but very strong — 30 per cent lighter and 3-to-4 times stronger. We believe that a lot of car parts, including dashboards, bumpers, side panels, will be made of nano-sized fruit fibers in the future. For one thing, they will help reduce the weight of cars and that will improve fuel economy.”

Recommended Videos

The fruity fiber plastics may have mechanical advantages over current automotive plastics as well. Nano-cellulose reinforced plastics may be more resistant to heat, gasoline, water, and oxygen damage. The product is ready to go too. Leão estimates that automotives with his new fiber would begin popping up as soon as two years from now. Beyond that, even metal parts may be replaced by fruit.

“So far, we’re focusing on replacing automotive plastics,” said Leão. “But in the future, we may be able to replace steel and aluminum automotive parts using these plant-based nanocellulose materials.”

Traditionally, cellulose fiber has been gathered from trees and used to make paper, among other things. More recently, scientists have found a way to extract tiny nano fibers from wood and other plants. These fibers are so small that 50,000 could fit across the width of a single human hair. Pineapple leaves and stems, in particular, are one of the most promising sources for nano-cellulose fibers. Bananas and coconut shells are also good sources of nano fibers. Leão speculates that these plastics could eventually replace artificial heart valves and other body parts as well.

The only downside: the second you put bananas in anything, they overpower everything else.

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Honda unveils sleek electric sedan and SUV prototypes at CES 2025
Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV prototypes.

Honda’s next-generation electric vehicles are a step closer to production. At CES 2025, the automaker unveiled prototypes of the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV, the first two of its 0 Series EVs that will start rolling off assembly lines in Ohio next year.

The two EVs follow 0 Series concept cars Honda unveiled at CES 2024. These are closer to what buyers can expect to see in showrooms, hence the label of “prototype” rather than “concept.” How close exactly? When Honda unveils a prototype, that vehicle generally makes the transition to production with minimal changes. But that would be particularly remarkable here.
They still look like concept cars

Read more
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more