How Radically New Materials Will Impact Transportation

Up in the sky – it's a solar-powered plane! But what does it mean for the sustainability of the commercial transportation sector? The Solar Impulse 2 is currently on a 21,747-mile journey around the globe, powered only by the energy of the sun. But the project, 10 years in the making, is about more than proving that a small, specially designed plane can successfully draw on a renewable energy source. The aircraft consists of a wide range of innovative materials, many created by Covestro, a supplier of high-tech polymer products. Richard Northcote, chief sustainability officer with Covestro, joins us on this episode to explain how the company dramatically reduced the plane's weight while installing materials that provide an unprecedented degree of insulation and comfort to the pilots. Even more importantly, the innovative materials used in the Solar Impulse 2 have major implications for the transportation industry as a whole. They're lighter, stronger and more sustainable than anything used in traditional aircraft and ground vehicles. Even carbon dioxide can be used in the production of mattress foam, leading to a 30-percent cut in the use of oil. Find out what the Solar Impulse 2 means for the future of all modes of transport.