KICKSTARTING THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF AUTOMOTIVE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES

The report argues that instead of risky whole-vehicle redesigns, the automotive industry should adopt carbon fiber composites starting with specific high-value parts and subassemblies. It identifies promising candidates such as door inners, engine cradles, and seats, noting that while these parts cost significantly more than steel counterparts, the value from weight reduction and fuel savings can make them cost-competitive. The document outlines technical gaps in material characterization, predictive modeling, and fiber cost, and recommends the creation of a 'Parts Campaign' and an 'Innovation Hub' to coordinate efforts between industry, government, and academia.

• A parts- and subassembly-focused approach is recommended to avoid the risks of a whole-vehicle redesign while still enabling a total transformation of vehicle design over time.
• Near-term opportunities for carbon fiber adoption in vehicles over the next 4–6 years include part families such as doors, rear hatches, seats, and engine cradles, which can achieve weight savings of 60% to 70%.
• Carbon fiber composite parts currently cost approximately three times as much as steel counterparts, with an extra cost per pound saved ranging from $2.78 to $4.76, but this is often offset by fuel savings and other customer value.
• Fiber cost is the primary driver of part cost, and the most significant lever for explosive adoption would be a shift to lower-cost alternative precursors, such as polyolefin.
• There are critical technical gaps in material characterization and computational predictive modeling, particularly regarding fatigue, failure modes, and high-strain-rate crash behavior, which lead to overdesign and expensive testing.
• The report proposes an 'Innovation Hub' to centralize research, provide shared access to manufacturing equipment and test rigs, and better connect academic and government research to industry needs.
• A 'Parts Campaign' is suggested to bring specific parts to market through lean teams of 6–8 experts from across the supply chain, led by an OEM or Tier 1 provider.

APA

RMI (2013). KICKSTARTING THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF AUTOMOTIVE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-01_AutocompositesFinalReport.pdf

Chicago

RMI. KICKSTARTING THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF AUTOMOTIVE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES. 2013. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-01_AutocompositesFinalReport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=KICKSTARTING THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF AUTOMOTIVE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES |date=January 2013 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-01_AutocompositesFinalReport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2013kickstarting, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{KICKSTARTING THE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF AUTOMOTIVE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-01_AutocompositesFinalReport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }