By Kerri Jansen
STAFF REPORTER
Published: October 30, 2014 11:00 am ET
Updated: October 30, 2014 11:04 am ET

The Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Division has selected finalists for its 2014 Automotive Innovation Awards competition. Category winners and the grand winner will be announced during the Innovation Awards & Gala Nov. 12 in Livonia, Mich.

Nominated parts must be on vehicles that are in production during the 2014 calendar year. The award goes to the automaker.

The finalists are:

Body Exterior

• Hyundai Motor Group for the carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic panoramic sun roof frame in the 2015 Kia Sorento crossover utility vehicle.
• Daimler AG for the roof ditch molding on its 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-class luxury sedan, a combination of metal carrier, thermoplastic adhesive and specially tailored transfer paint system.
• General Motors Co. for the transparent polycarbonate fin on the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z06 sports car.
• GM for the light element on the 2015 Cadillac Escalade sports utility vehicle assist step. The system is a polyurethane light bar with an extruded profile PC lens.
• Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. for the trunk lid on the 2014 Nissan GT-R, made from compression molded prepreg carbon fiber.
• Ford Motor Company for the 20 percent talc-filled polypropylene belly pan with multiple airdam options on the 2015 Ford Mustang sports car.

Body Interior

• Ford for the door trim local reinforcement on the 2014 Ford Transit Courier van. Continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tape is placed in the tool during injection molding.
• Ford for the top storage bin on the 2015 Ford Figo subcompact car, using an all-plastic cinching clutch for personal electronic device docking. The Figo is sold in India.
• Ford for the all-plastic temperature averaging discharge air sensor on the 2014 Ford Fusion mid-size car.
• Ford for the second-row seat back using glass mat thermoplastic on the 2015 Ford Mustang.

Chassis/Hardware

• Ford for the seamless sliding back window with plastic frame and seal on the 2014 Ford F-150 pickup.
• Ford for the 2015 Ford Transit van’s seamless flip window on an engineered plastic framework.
• Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for the plastic composite reinforcement for the chrome steel truck bumper on the 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.
• Fiat Chrysler for the injection blow molded thermoplastic elastomer jounce bumper on the 2015 Fiat Punto supermini car.
• Renault Group for the co-extruded thermoplastic coolant tube on the 2015 Renault Twingo city car.

Environmental

• Ford for the PP composite gap hider with 25 percent recycled materials in the 2013 Escape CUV.
• Ford for the cellulose fiber-reinforced PP console armrest in the 2013 Lincoln MKX luxury CUV.
• Ford for the lightweight thermoplastic olefin material with synthetic filler used for the rear decklid applique bracket on the 2015 Mustang.

Materials

• Hyundai for the high-biomass content TPO used in crash pad and door trim skins on the 2014 Soul electric vehicle.
• Ford for the molded-in-color PC and ABS metallic appearance finish panels in the 2015 Mondeo Sedan.
• Ford for the PC grille mesh on the 2015 Taurus SHO sedan.
• Ford for the low-squeak ABS and ABS/PC in the 2014 Taurus sedan interior.
• Ford for the impact-modified polyoxymethylene head rest guide sleeve on the 2015 Fusion mid-size car.

Powertrain

• Fiat Chrysler for the injection molded nylon charge air cooler duct and resonator in the 2014 Jeep Cherokee SUV.
• Volkswagen AG for the nylon crank shaft cover with integrated oil seal on the 2014 MDB engine platform.
• Fiat Chrysler for the sheet molding compound air intake system on the 2014 Dodge Challenger Shaker sports car.
• General Motors for the nylon/polyimide thrust bearing on the 2014 Cadillac ATS sports sedan, Chevrolet Corvette sports car and Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies

• Ford for the POM molded-in-color metallic console rail on the 2014 Edge CUV.
• Daimler for the ABS/PC entertainment system bezel on its 2013 Mercedes Benz S-Class luxury sedan.
• Ford for the PVC-encapsulated louvered side window on the 2014 Mustang 50^thanniversary sports car.
• Ford for the PC LED optical headlamp lens on the 2015 F-150 pickup.

Safety

• Ford for the injection molded knee airbag/glove box system in the 2015 Ford Mustang.
• Ford for the acrylic polymethyl-methacrylate tail lamp with blind spot information system in the 2015 Ford F-150.
• Ford for the injection molded POM split link safety device in the 2015 Ford Transit.
• Ford for the TPO front-end energy absorber on the 2015 Mustang.