Teijin Limited and Hayashi Telempu Corporation announced that Hayashi Telempu’s V-Wave soundproof material made with Teijin’s V-Lap nonwoven polyester fabric has been selected as soundproof material for the 2016 Toyota Prius, which launched in Japan in December 2015.

The nonwoven structure with vertically oriented fibers of V-Lap enables V-Wave to perform every bit as well as conventional soundproof material, yet weighs only half as much. V-Lap is made with recycled polyester.

As environmental regulations become increasingly strict worldwide, there are growing demands for solutions that help to improve vehicle fuel efficiency, including weight reduction. Teijin and Hayashi Telempu are also using V-Lap and V-Wave to develop other lightweight sound-absorption auto parts, such as for ceilings and doors.

V-Lap and V-Wave are mutually produced in contiguous factories located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.