Ford, GM try smart seat fabric; warmer in winter, cooler in summer

Nov. 4, 2004
At SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in Las Vegas this week, Ford and GM are showing a smart seat fabric technology that could be an alternative to the active controls currently used in automotive seating thermal management systems.

At SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in Las Vegas this week, Ford and GM are showing a smart seat fabric technology that could be an alternative to the active controls currently used in automotive seating thermal management systems.

The fabric technology, originally developed for NASA, uses phase-change material (PCM) “Thermocules” to absorb and store excess body heat to create a cooling effect, and release it as needed to provide additional warmth.

Ford is using the fabric on the seats of a 2005 Mustang GTR. GM has it on a Pontiac GTC.

Automotive interiors specialist Shawmut Corporation (West Bridgewater, Mass.) and Outlast Technologies Inc. (Boulder, Colo.), which holds patent rights, are collaborating to bring Smart Fabric Technology to automotive seating.

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