Autocomposites Workshop

The document identifies high raw material costs, long manufacturing cycle times, and a lack of automotive-specific design standards as primary obstacles to using carbon fiber composites in vehicles. It argues that reducing material costs from approximately $11/lb to $6-$8/lb is essential for viability. The proposed solution is a 'substitution to transformation' approach, starting with individual part substitutions (e.g., engine mounts or battery carriers) to build supply chain scale before moving to full body-in-white implementation. The briefing also emphasizes the need for advanced CAE tools for crash modeling and the development of recycling and repair processes to ensure lifecycle robustness.

• Raw material cost is the primary driver of production costs for carbon fiber composite parts; widespread adoption requires costs to drop by about 40%, from approximately $11/lb to between $6 and $8/lb (including resin).
• Several alternative precursors could lower costs: textile-grade PAN is the most likely near-term solution, while lignin and polyolefin offer potential for further cost reduction and decoupling from petroleum prices.
• Current manufacturing cycle times are too slow for high-volume automotive production, where vehicles are produced roughly every two minutes; this necessitates the development of 'out of autoclave' processes like compression molding and resin transfer molding (RTM).
• Carbon fiber composites offer superior crash energy absorption compared to metals, with some studies indicating a 4x advantage over steel and others suggesting up to a 12x advantage, though a general lack of understanding of composite crash behavior persists.
• The automotive industry lacks the comprehensive material specifications and standards found in aerospace, which leads to overdesign and hinders the use of varied fiber grades tailored to specific part needs (e.g., cosmetic vs. structural).
• Lifecycle robustness requires the development of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and repair techniques to prevent high insurance premiums and the need for total part replacement after damage.
• Recycling carbon fiber is possible through methods such as pyrolysis, fluidized bed oxidation, and chemical reclamation, with pyrolysis potentially remaining economically viable if raw fiber is valued at $1.50 per pound.
• RMI proposes a tiered implementation strategy that begins with substituting individual parts (such as engine mounts, battery carriers, and floor panels) to build supply chain scale before transitioning to full composite bodies-in-white.

APA

RMI (2012). Autocomposites Workshop. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-12_AutocompositesWorkshopPreRead.pdf

Chicago

RMI. Autocomposites Workshop. 2012. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2012-12_AutocompositesWorkshopPreRead.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Autocomposites Workshop |date=November 2012 |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{rmi2012autocomposites, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Autocomposites Workshop}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2012}, month = nov, 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} }