Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are the primary air pollutants produced by fuel of cars, which is one of the major causes of global warming. Air pollution causes numerous respiratory and cardiovascular problems and may exacerbate pre-existing conditions such as asthma.
There is at present considerable incentive for automotive manufacturers to minimize energy consumption. One of the main ways in which fuel consumption can be reduced is to decrease the weight of the vehicle. For automobiles, this has led to the replacement of spot welded steel body structures by light-weight constructions using adhesive bonding. Such items as roofs, doors, bonnets, boot lid etc. have been adhesively bonded for several years, and more structural components are being considered. In automotive construction, adhesive bonding can be used for joining metals, plastics or combinations of the two, and it offers the further advantage that, because the joints are continuous, an overall increase in body stiffness is achieved, thus enabling thinner material to be used .