Your car could one day contain components partially manufactured from plants grown on Tennessee and Alabama farms.
As part of a new research initiative, farmers in those two states will cultivate switchgrass, miscanthus and similar crops that experts can turn into vehicle parts, construction materials and other commercial products.
The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville — alongside a partnership consisting of universities and businesses — has received an initial $15 million from the federal government help jump-start those efforts. That funding could grow to $160 million over 10 years if the team meets its metrics.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga workers at Volkswagen logistics provider vote to unionize)
Volkswagen, which maintains its only U.S.-based production plant in Chattanooga, is among the partners on the initiative, and while the German automaker has not yet implemented bio-based technologies into its vehicle manufacturing, company officials see significant potential.