The Ministry of the Environment launched the Nano Cellulose Vehicle (NCV) project on October 26, 2016 with the objective of utilizing cellulose nanofibers (CNF), a next-generation material, to reduce the weight of automotive components by roughly 10% in 2020. Lead by Kyoto University, the consortium is comprised of 22 entities including universities, research institutions, and companies, which through the completion of this project were able to realize a comprehensive end-to-end supply chain structure for this new material.

 The culmination of this project was the unveiling of the concept car, featuring numerous components made with CNF, at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019. This report provides an overview of the NCV concept car as well as the components made using materials with cellulose nanofiber.

NCV concept car on display	NCV Components on display

NCV Project participating institutions

 Kyoto University, Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology and Culture, Ube Industries, Showa Marutsutsu, Showa Products, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Risho Kogyo, Akita Prefectural University, Inoac Corporation, Kyoraku, DaikyoNishikawa, Sanwa Kako, Maxell, Aisin Seiki, Denso, Toyota Boshoku, Toyota Motor East Japan, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Toyota Customizing & Development, The University of Tokyo, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sustainable Management Promotion Organization

Related reports:
Tokyo Motor Show 2019: Plastics related components (Nov. 2019)