Ah, chrome trim. Love it or hate it - it's a car industry staple. Nearly a century of chrome-plated cars could end soon, at least in the European Union (EU). The news comes as the international organization seeks to ban chrome plating by 2024.
The EU made the proposal citing health concerns, as the electroplating process contains hexavalent chromium, a known and proven carcinogen.
And it gets worse from there, as the metallic chemical compound may also cause lung, nasal, and sinus cancer. Inhalation exposure is reportedly up to 500 times more toxic than inhaling diesel.
Earlier this year, California air regulators voted to ban toxic chrome plating by 2039. That's quite some time away, but we reckon more than a handful of other states could follow.
It's hard to predict the potential ban's impact on the global car market, but it's not out of the question to say that automotive design could change radically.
With the EU and California losing virtually unlimited access to chrome plating, manufacturers will likely have to look to other ways to make their models stand out - and not just from each other, but within their own product lines.
Many automakers have traditionally used chrome to help buyers differentiate between variants. For example, the next-gen Ford Everest in its top-spec Platinum trim features a chrome grille, something you won't find in any other Everest model.
These little intricacies could all go away once chrome production ceases. Is this a world-changing outcome? Not by any stretch, but it does make one wonder.
Could something emerge as the successor to chrome (please not piano black plastics), or will the world's preeminent car brands simply have to buckle down and get more creative (and sustainable) with their materials inside and out.