Future Car to be unveiled at Chinaplas 2012

What will the future automobile look like? A sneak peak at tomorrow's car will be presented at Chinaplas 2012 as part of design competition in that show's "Future Zone" display.  A five-month design, selection and production process of the "Future Car" is already underway with 15 groups of students submitting applications.

The winning entry will be selected by a panel of experts from the plastics and automotive industry, as well as academia and the organizer. The selection criteria stress the degree of eco-friendliness, with the winning entry to be represented in a display model at the fairground's "Future Zone".

Future Zone will run concurrently with the Chinaplas 2012 exhibition (April 18-21; Shanghai). The event is composed of two parts: "Nurturing Our Future", which combines plastics/rubber applications, technology and innovation, resulting in a brand new "Future Car" design, and a "Premium Design Gallery", which will showcase a series of new, unique plastic products.

Ada Leung, assistant general manager of Adsale, the show organizer, said this program seeks to promote cooperation between the commercial and academic field in three areas: Application, Technology, and Innovation. "It is exciting to see the project being kicked off," Leung said in a press release, adding that show attendees will benefit from the combination of industry's plastics/rubber experts and the "innovative spirit and creativity of students."

Supporting partners and co-organizing units include East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Society of Plastics Industry, Italian machinery association ASSOCOMAPLAST, and the Shanghai Automotive Trade Association. In addition, the organizer has invited Shuwen Liu, senior engineer of Shanghai GM/Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center Co. Ltd to act as a consultant to the event. Adsale also announced that injection molding machinery supplier Demag Plastics Group will act as the event's Platinum Sponsor.

To be held April 18-21 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Chinaplas 2012 is in its 26th edition, with plans to cover an exhibition area of 200,000-sq-m, while occupying all 17 exhibition halls of the fairgrounds as well as the center's Central Square. Adsale anticipates having more than 2600 exhibitors on hand from 35 countries, with more than 100,000 visitors from 140 countries in attendance. Visitors who complete online registration on or before Feb 15, 2012 will receive their visitor badges in advance, have free admission and receive a coupon to redeem the exhibition catalogue, valued at RMB100.