Currently, in the United States, Europe and Asia, most new vehicles are manufactured from new or recycled steel and painted with a liquid paint system on their exterior. In the last few years, a greater number of steel pieces are being replaced by metal/plastic alloys or components that are made entirely of plastic. Most of these exterior pieces are painted with a liquid coating but in some instances they may also be powder coated or directly colored where the plastic parts are injection molded (molded in color). There are a number of problems associated with these processes:
* Steel is a natural resource material and has a limited number of suppliers. Import tariffs are quite high and having limited suppliers causes the quality and price of the material to fluctuate. Since steel is quite dense, the finished automobile weighs significantly more than its plastic or alloy counterpart. Obviously, this additional weight decreases fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Additional consumption of fossil fuels and expensive raw materials are a burden to the manufacturer, the consumer and the global environment.