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The document argues that U.S. vehicle manufacturers are ahead of regulatory schedules, with 10% of 2015 vehicles already meeting 2020 standards. It highlights the role of both conventional internal combustion engine improvements and electrification in reducing emissions and fuel costs for consumers.

The report identifies a portfolio of low-carbon opportunities for the European steel sector, ranging from energy efficiency and fuel shifting to breakthrough technologies like Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and increased recycling. It argues that current EU ETS mechanisms, particularly free allocation based on historic volumes, fail to provide sufficient incentives for deep decarbonisation and high-value product innovation. The authors recommend a structural reform of leakage protection, specifically proposing a combination of output-based allocation and the inclusion of consumption in the EU ETS to create a credible business case for breakthrough technologies and material efficiency. The report also emphasizes the need for sustained public funding for process innovation to overcome the 'valley of death' in technology scaling and suggests strengthening links between steel producers and downstream consumers, particularly in the automotive and construction sectors, to drive demand for lightweight, high-strength steels.

The Autocomposites Commercialization Launchpad seeks to assemble a manufacturing team to produce a carbon fiber composite part for a 2018 model year vehicle at a volume of 50,000 units per year. The report details investment challenges, technical hurdles related to part design and assembly, and a 10-step action plan to engage OEMs and scale production.

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.

The document proposes a 'parts approach' to overcome barriers to the adoption of automotive carbon fiber composites. Rather than attempting whole-vehicle integration, it suggests targeting specific parts (such as rear hatches or door inners) for mainstream volumes of 50,000 to 100,000 units per year by model year 2018. This strategy aims to create a viable business case, drive scale, and identify technology and funding gaps through a collaborative supply chain team including OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and material producers.

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.

The document examines the relationship between vehicle weight, fuel efficiency, and safety. It argues that lightweighting can significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions—potentially by up to 11% if combined with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and a clean grid—without compromising occupant safety. The author contends that vehicle size and design, rather than mass, are the primary drivers of crashworthiness. The paper reviews statistical literature to debunk the 'weight confers safety' argument and provides examples of aluminum, high-strength steel, and carbon fiber composites being used in safe, lightweight vehicles.

Amory B. Lovins, CEO of RMI, submits comments to NHTSA challenging the technical basis of its proposed rulemaking on automobile fuel economy standards. He argues that NHTSA incorrectly relies on retrospective correlations between vehicle weight and safety, which fail to account for modern materials like advanced polymer composites and high-strength steels. Lovins asserts that these materials can create vehicles that are simultaneously large, lightweight, and safe, thereby eliminating the perceived tradeoff between fuel economy and crashworthiness. He recommends that CAFE standards be performance-based, technology-forcing, and based on size metrics rather than mass to avoid incentivizing a 'mass arms race' and to maintain the global competitiveness of U.S. automakers.

The report argues that the US can significantly reduce its oil consumption and environmental footprint by aggressively raising Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. It proposes a path to 40 mpg by 2012 and 55 mpg by 2020 using evolutionary conventional technologies and hybrid electric vehicles. The analysis suggests these improvements would save consumers billions of dollars, create over 100,000 automobile industry jobs by 2020, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 888 million tons by 2020. Furthermore, the report contends that these fuel savings would far exceed the potential oil supply from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and that safety can be maintained or improved through better design and the reduction of weight disparity between light trucks and passenger cars.

The Hypercar concept, developed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), proposes a 'whole-system' approach to vehicle design to achieve fuel economies of 90 to 200 mpg. This is accomplished through the synergy of advanced polymeric composites to reduce mass by 50-65%, aerodynamic improvements to cut drag by 40-50%, and hybrid-electric drivesystems that recover up to 50% of braking energy. The document asserts that these vehicles can maintain safety standards, including in collisions with heavier cars, and could be compatible with various fuels, including hydrogen via fuel cells. RMI estimates that production-volume Hypercars could appear in the early 2000s, with costs comparable to conventional vehicles.

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.

The document argues that 'hypercars'—vehicles combining ultralight advanced-composite bodies with hybrid-electric drivesystems—could dramatically improve fuel efficiency and emissions while challenging existing steel-based recycling infrastructures. Because current recycling relies on ferrous metal recovery, the shift to composites would render existing shredding processes unprofitable, necessitating new technologies like solvolysis and low-temperature catalytic pyrolysis to recover high-value fibers and resins. The authors suggest that 'clean-sheet design' and the inherent durability of composites could either slow fleet turnover or increase the per-vehicle profit for recyclers through the recovery of expensive materials.

The paper argues that achieving tripled fuel economy requires a systems-optimization approach rather than incremental improvements. It proposes a combination of carbon-fiber composite body-in-white structures, low-drag aerodynamics, and series hybrid-electric propulsion. Modeling suggests that such a 'leapfrog' approach can yield vehicles achieving 80-100+ mpg while maintaining family-sedan utility and safety.

The paper investigates whether advanced composite bodies-in-white (BIW) can be affordable for mass production, using the GM Ultralite as a case study. It employs Technical Cost Modeling to compare a composite monocoque with a steel unibody across manufacturing, operation, and post-use phases. The analysis finds that while material costs for carbon fiber are high, they can be offset by significantly lower tooling and equipment costs, especially when using 'soft' composite tooling and rapid-curing technologies. The study concludes that composite BIWs can be cost-competitive with steel at carbon-fiber prices around $11/kg ($5/lb) with modest mass reductions, and are already more competitive in total lifecycle costs at production volumes below 75,000 units per year.