ADVANCED COMPOSITES: THE CAR IS AT THE CROSSROADS

The paper assesses the state of advanced polymer composites in the automotive industry, noting that while automakers are exploring advanced technologies like fuel cells and hybrid drives, the composites industry remains fragmented and focused on niche applications. It introduces the 'hypercar' concept—integrating ultralight platforms with hybrid propulsion—and explains how 'mass decompounding' can lead to 'cost decompounding', making expensive materials economically viable. The authors contrast the passive approach of composites firms with the aggressive, whole-system strategies of the steel (e.g., ULSAB project) and aluminum industries. To avoid being squeezed out, the authors recommend ten strategic actions, including building a high-profile composite demonstration car, partnering with automakers, and collaborating through trade groups.

• Advanced polymer composites are currently underutilized in the automotive industry, with their annual mass usage trailing steel by approximately six orders of magnitude.
• Incremental substitution of composite parts into metal-based platforms is often ineffective due to technical and cultural incompatibilities, such as different coefficients of thermal expansion and a 'metal mindset' that prioritizes material cost per kilogram over total vehicle cost.
• The 'hypercar' concept combines an ultralight, low-drag platform with a hybrid-electric drivesystem, potentially improving fuel efficiency 3–4-fold with near-production technologies and up to 4–5-fold with PEM fuel cells, reaching efficiencies of ~200 mpg.
• Recursive 'mass decompounding'—where reducing autobody mass allows for smaller, lighter drivesystems and chassis—can lead to 'cost decompounding', where the savings from smaller components offset the higher cost of advanced materials.
• Advanced polymer composites offer superior mass reduction potential compared to metals, with estimates of 50–67% autobody mass reduction, compared to 25–35% for advanced steel and 40–55% for aluminum.
• The steel and aluminum industries have adopted aggressive, whole-system strategies to remain relevant; for example, 35 steel companies collaborated on the $22-million UltraLight Steel Autobody (ULSAB) project to create a body 25% lighter than conventional steel unibodies.
• The advanced composites industry risks being excluded from next-generation platforms, as evidenced by Ford's P2000 project, which used significantly more aluminum (37% of mass) and even more titanium (5 kg) than carbon fiber (4 kg).

APA

Brylawski, M. M., & Lovins, A. B. (1998). ADVANCED COMPOSITES: THE CAR IS AT THE CROSSROADS. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T98-01_CarAtCrossroads.pdf

Chicago

Brylawski, Michael M., and Amory B. Lovins. ADVANCED COMPOSITES: THE CAR IS AT THE CROSSROADS. RMI, 1998. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T98-01_CarAtCrossroads.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brylawski |first1=Michael M. |last2=Lovins |first2=Amory B. |title=ADVANCED COMPOSITES: THE CAR IS AT THE CROSSROADS |publisher=RMI |date=1998 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T98-01_CarAtCrossroads.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brylawski1998advanced, author = {Brylawski, Michael M. and Lovins, Amory B.}, title = {{ADVANCED COMPOSITES: THE CAR IS AT THE CROSSROADS}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {1998}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_T98-01_CarAtCrossroads.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }