AUTOCOMPOSITES COMMERCIALIZATION LAUNCHPAD

This briefing document outlines the 'Autocomposites Commercialization Launchpad,' an RMI-led initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of carbon fiber composites in the automotive industry. The strategy focuses on a 'parts approach,' targeting the commercialization of specific, high-value components for mainstream vehicles by model year 2018, rather than attempting whole-vehicle transformation immediately. The document emphasizes the need for a collaborative 'A-Team' across the supply chain—including OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and material producers—to overcome technical barriers and share the significant upfront costs associated with design and tooling.

• The 'parts approach' strategy targets near-term commercialization by identifying specific carbon fiber applications with high weight savings and tangible value for mainstream adoption, aiming for initial volumes of 50,000 to 100,000 units for model year 2018.
• A post-workshop survey revealed strong stakeholder interest in carbon fiber composite commercialization, with 18 out of 21 respondents stating they are "very interested." Of these, 14 offered support via in-kind equipment, material, or labor, while 3 offered direct financial contributions.
• Successful implementation requires a lean 'A-Team' of 6–8 experts covering the entire supply chain, including fiber producers, resin providers, intermediate form suppliers, tooling/equipment makers, Tier 1 manufacturers, and OEMs. Leadership should ideally come from the OEM or Tier 1 level to ensure a practical understanding of production part development.
• The document identifies several candidate parts and segments for initial focus: candidate parts include the rear hatch inner, seat structures (specifically stowaways), engine cradles, and door inners with intrusion beams (particularly for vans/cargo vans). Target segments include EVs, fleets, and performance vehicles.
• Commercialization faces significant technical barriers, including challenges with crash safety, recyclability, cycle times, repair and replacement, and the need for improved CAE tools and material data.
• Upfront costs for commercialization—including design, equipment, tooling, and testing—traditionally fall on OEMs and large Tier 1 suppliers. An illustrative program cost is estimated at $4.45 million, with $2.65 million allocated to manufacturing process setup and validation.

APA

RMI (2013). AUTOCOMPOSITES COMMERCIALIZATION LAUNCHPAD. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ACLKickoffPreRead_2014-04.pdf

Chicago

RMI. AUTOCOMPOSITES COMMERCIALIZATION LAUNCHPAD. 2013. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ACLKickoffPreRead_2014-04.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=AUTOCOMPOSITES COMMERCIALIZATION LAUNCHPAD |date=January 2013 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ACLKickoffPreRead_2014-04.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2013autocomposites, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{AUTOCOMPOSITES COMMERCIALIZATION LAUNCHPAD}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_ACLKickoffPreRead_2014-04.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }