Car manufacturer Ford has formulated and tested new foam and plastic components which use captured CO2 as feedstock.

The new materials could feature in new cars within five years.

The firm claims foam made by using 50% of CO2-based material meets rigorous automotive test standards and could be used in seating and underhood applications.

It also has the potential to reduce petroleum use by more than 600 million pounds per year, the company added.

Ford aims to develop environmentally-friendly materials for its cars as it already uses foam-sourced from soy in some vehicles among other materials.

Debbie Mielewski, Ford Senior Technical leader of sustainability said: “Ford is working aggressively to lower its environmental impact by reducing its use of petroleum-based plastic and foam. This technology is exciting because it is contributing to solving a seemingly insurmountable problem, climate change. We are thrilled to be leading the charge toward reducing carbon emissions and the effects of climate change.”