October 30, 2020. – Transportation vehicles are up for huge changes as cars are being electrified and automated. Perhaps one day we can read the newspaper while the car takes care of driving. Internet sales means that more, smaller delivery vans will be passing through residential areas. There is some consensus that the number of vehicles will grow.

Energy efficiency is an important target in the automobile industry, just like in every other vertical. One way to improve efficiency is to lose weight. A lighter chassis and body makes for a longer-distance range for electric cars and less fuel consumption for combustion engines. In trucks and trailers, less weight allows for more payload. The benefits are undisputable.

Could wooden constructions help in reducing vehicle weight? Formpressed elements with strength-graded veneers and reinforcement layers? Treated with fire-retardants to pass the safety requirements. Steel and metal have been the main materials, but would now be time for something lighter and more sustainable, without compromising strength and durability?