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This briefing by RMI outlines the technical, economic, and institutional barriers to the widespread adoption of carbon fiber composites in the U.S. automotive industry. It proposes a collaborative approach to transition from individual part substitution to full composite body-in-white construction to improve fuel efficiency and reduce oil dependence.

The document argues that the U.S. transportation sector can move entirely off oil by 2050 through a strategy of 'ultralighting first' followed by electrification. By reducing tractive load (mass and drag), vehicles can achieve order-of-magnitude efficiency gains, making batteries and fuel cells more affordable. This approach, combined with productivity improvements in logistics and urban design, could save trillions of dollars and significantly reduce global carbon emissions.

This research paper by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that the automotive industry's failure to adopt advanced composite materials in the body-in-white (BIW) is due to a reliance on incremental, component-based substitution. The authors propose a "leapfrog" strategy: a whole-system redesign using an all-advanced-composite monocoque BIW integrated with a hybrid-electric "hypercar" concept. This approach aims to overcome cost, manufacturing, and cultural barriers by maximizing mass reduction and simplifying assembly.

This research paper by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) proposes the 'hypercar'—a vehicle combining ultralight mass, ultralow aerodynamic drag, and hybrid-electric drive to achieve fuel economies 4–10 times higher than conventional cars. The author argues that by using advanced composites and recursive design, manufacturers can reduce costs and mass simultaneously, bypassing the incremental improvements of the traditional automotive industry to create a more efficient, safer, and cheaper vehicle.

This research paper evaluates seven global transport initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using the 'Global Calculator' tool to assess their potential impact relative to the IEA 6 degree scenario.