rmi_document_repository_public-reprts_2012-12_autocompositesworkshoppreread-3c325cbffdab01d4.pdf

This briefing by RMI outlines the technical, economic, and institutional barriers to the widespread adoption of carbon fiber composites in the U.S. automotive industry. It proposes a collaborative approach to transition from individual part substitution to full composite body-in-white construction to improve fuel efficiency and reduce oil dependence.

• Carbon fiber composites offer unparalleled weight reduction potential for automotive structures, which can reduce 'tractive load' and improve fuel efficiency. For electric vehicles, this weight reduction can either extend range or decrease battery costs.
• High raw material costs are a primary barrier to adoption. To achieve widespread use, material costs must decrease by approximately 40%, falling from roughly $11/lb to a range of $6-$8/lb (including resin).
• Several precursor alternatives to expensive aerospace-grade polyacrylonitrile (PAN) are being explored to reduce costs, including textile-grade PAN, lignin, and polyolefins. Textile-grade PAN is considered the most likely near-term solution for cost reduction.
• Manufacturing cycle times for composites are currently too slow for high-volume automotive production. A typical plant producing 250,000 vehicles per year requires a vehicle to be completed every two minutes, a pace that current composite processes struggle to meet.
• The document identifies a need for new design and analysis tools, specifically Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and 'virtual manufacturing' software, to optimize the anisotropic properties of composites and reduce prototyping costs.
• Carbon fiber composites demonstrate significantly higher crash energy absorption than steel. While a U.S. DOT estimate suggests it is at least 4 times greater, a 2002 Daimler study found a 12x advantage over steel.
• Lifecycle robustness, specifically repairability and recyclability, is critical for adoption. Because composites exhibit brittle failure modes, the development of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques is necessary to avoid high insurance premiums and the need for total part replacement.
• Recycling methods for carbon fiber include pyrolysis, fluidized bed oxidation, and chemical reclamation. Pyrolysis is noted for being commercially scalable, though it is energy-intensive.
• RMI proposes a 'Substitution to Transformation' pathway, starting with the implementation of individual composite parts on existing models to build supply chain scale before moving toward full composite bodies-in-white.

APA

RMI (n.d.). rmi_document_repository_public-reprts_2012-12_autocompositesworkshoppreread-3c325cbffdab01d4.pdf. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-12_AutocompositesWorkshopPreRead.pdf

Chicago

RMI. rmi_document_repository_public-reprts_2012-12_autocompositesworkshoppreread-3c325cbffdab01d4.pdf. n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-12_AutocompositesWorkshopPreRead.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=rmi_document_repository_public-reprts_2012-12_autocompositesworkshoppreread-3c325cbffdab01d4.pdf |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-12_AutocompositesWorkshopPreRead.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmindrmidocumentrepositorypublicreprts201212autocompositesworkshoppreread3c325cbffdab01d4pdf, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{rmi\_document\_repository\_public-reprts\_2012-12\_autocompositesworkshoppreread-3c325cbffdab01d4.pdf}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-12_AutocompositesWorkshopPreRead.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }