Carbon Fibre in Automotive Applications
topic
Automotive adoption: luxury/supercar (Lamborghini, Ferrari—Class A surfaces, chassis tubs), BMW i3/i8 (carbon passenger cell mass-produced via RTM), performance vehicles (drive shafts, wheels, body panels), and emerging mass-market applications (roof panels, battery enclosures for EVs). Challenges: cost ($15-40/kg component vs. steel $2-5/kg), cycle time (5-10 min target vs. 60-180 min current), and recycling infrastructure.
Role
Automotive represents largest growth opportunity (potential 150,000+ tonne demand by 2030) but requires 10× cost reduction (targeting $5-10/kg) and rapid manufacturing (HP-RTM, compression molding of thermoplastics) for mainstream adoption beyond premium vehicles.
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