It seems carbon fiber is starting to show up everywhere in cars to cut weight, with wheels being one of the latest examples. There are already some aftermarket carbon-fiber wheels available, but now Ford will offer them as standard equipment on its sportiest new Mustang model--the Shelby GT350R. Wheels Carbon Fiber aluminum weight reduction MORE

The carbon-fiber exoskeleton allows employees to sit without a chair. covered surfaces support the buttocks and thighs while two struts made of carbon?fiber?reinforced fiber?reinforced MORE

If you, like us, think the modern-day MINIs are simply getting too big to be called a mini, then never fear as the automaker is reportedly set to launch its smallest model yet. MINI showed off a new concept car the recent 2011 Geneva Motor Show called the Rocketman, which is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a modern-day version of the MORE

Dealer orders indicate demand for smaller pickup trucks may be greater than carmakers anticipated, National Drive Electric Week will sing the praises of electric cars beginning next Monday, and carbon fiber wheels show promise as a way to improve efficiency. We start the week with a wide variety of topics. MORE

We''ve got more details on the 2017 Chevrolet Sonic EV, FedEx tests 25 Wrightspeed range-extended electric vans, and BMW-backed research could lead to much cheaper carbon fiber to be used in a wider variety of cars. Lots of electric-car news today. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Want the first 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf electric car in the MORE

One case in point is carbon fiber, which is light and strong, but also expensive. Now, a research firm partially funded by BMW--which uses large amounts of carbon fiber in its i3 electric car and i8 plug-in hybrid--claims to be on the verge of slashing this material''s Lightweight materials can help improve fuel efficiency, but they also add cost. MORE

Among the three German luxury brands, BMW was first out of the gate to build and sell a battery-electric car in volume. Its unusual and technically advanced i3 small hatchback, offered with an optional two-cylinder range-extending engine, makes up the bulk of its "i" sub-brand sales, joined by the sexy and expensive i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe. Future Cars plug-in cars REx range extender engine BMW i5 MORE

Gurit, a worldwide developer and manufacturer of advanced composites and technologies, has been selected as the supplier for carbon fiber based automotive body panels at a total contract value of more than CHF 30 million (US$34.2 Starting in the fourth quarter of 2015, the new project features industrial production of exterior Class-A carbon body panel parts utilizing both Gurit’s existing open mold manual and its new proprietary and patented advanced press technology. MORE

ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components and Maxion Wheels have established a cooperation agreement to develop and market innovative new ultra-lightweight aluminum and carbon fiber hybrid wheels for the premium vehicle OEM market.The combined technologies could generate a weight savings of up to 40% when compared to high performance forged aluminum wheels and at the same time offer high value styling. MORE

Not too long ago Mercedes-Benz announced they would be making a carbon-fiber derivative of the next E-Class sedan, and now BMW has also announced it will use the material in its future models. The BMW 7-Series luxury car will use carbon fiber and other light-weight materials, to reduce weight in a class where cars are often 4,400 pounds or more MORE

Plug-In Hybrids Carbon Fiber Prototype research CFRP plug-in cars Volkswagen XL1 Range ExtendingThe limited-production Volkswagen XL1 ultra-economy two-seater gets astounding fuel efficiency from its two-cylinder diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's well over 100 miles per gallon if you use the European test cycle (which differs from U.S. tests). But at a six-figure price and a production limited to a few hundred, it's not likely to have a. MORE

Carbon fiber You probably don''t think about your car''s wheels that much, but to state the exceedingly obvious they''re an essential part of every car. MORE

While its light weight helps raise fuel economy in vehicles, carbon fiber has its critics. Recently, BMW defended the carbon footprint of carbon fiber in a recent WardsAuto article. An often-long supply chain has led some to question the material''s environmental benefit. MORE: 2014 BMW i3: First Drive Of BMW''s Radical New Electric Car The German MORE

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a production method they estimate will reduce the cost of carbon fiber as much as 50% and the energy used in its production by more than 60%. The lower-cost carbon fiber produced by ORNL has demonstrated tensile strength, tensile modulus and strain to failure values exceeding 400 ksi, 40 Msi, and 1% respectively. MORE

Ford Motor Company is partnering with Dow Automotive Systems, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, to research the use of advanced carbon fiber composites in high-volume vehicles. The development teams will focus on establishing an economical source of automotive-grade carbon fiber and develop component manufacturing methods for high-volume automotive applications. MORE

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), a Manufacturing USA institute driven by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the US Department of Energy, in partnership with Ashland, Zoltek, Michelman, University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), JobsOhio, and Michigan State University (MSU) has launched a project focused on the optimization of vinyl ester resins and fiber sizings for the fabrication of carbon fiber composites. MORE

RMX Technologies and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have signed an exclusive licensing agreement for a new technology that significantly reduces the time and energy needed in the production of carbon fiber. Overview of carbon fiber production. MORE

Mitsubishi Rayon (MRC) (which is now consolidated into Mitsubishi Chemical , along with Mitsubishi Plastis and the former Mitsubishi Chemical) recently announced that its carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) has been adopted for the rear hatch frame of the new Toyota Prius PHV. MORE

Researchers led by a team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new laser process that could make joining carbon fiber composites and aluminum for lightweight cars and other multi-material high-end products less expensive—as well as making the joints more robust. MORE

Plug-In Hybrids Carbon FiberThe 2016 BMW 7-Series has now been announced, and among the dizzying array of models and trim packages is a plug-in hybrid version. That makes the awkwardly-named 2016 BMW 740e xDrive the fifth plug-in car from the Bavarian company. It joins the plug-in hybrid 330e sedan, the X5 xDrive 40e SUV, and the two "i" models--the i3 electric car and i8. MORE

Researchers from Nanjing Forestry University and the University of Maryland have designed high-performance microfibers by hybridizing two-dimensional (2D) graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and one-dimensional (1D) nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) fibers. MORE

PD Glasseiden, a Germany-based producer of fiberglass; European Carbon Fiber GmbH; and the ForschungsCampus Open Hybrid LabFactory e.V., established under the auspices of the Lower Saxony Research Centre for Vehicle Technology at the TU Braunschweig and Volkswagen AG have formed a joint venture— CarboSax GmbH —to pursue developing, manufacturing and distributing more sustainable carbon fibers in Germany. MORE

Videos Batteries Carbon Fiber plug-in cars youtubeBack in January, engineering firm Munro & Associates orchestrated a "tear-down" of a BMW i3 electric car at its facility near Detroit. MORE

a leader in the carbon fiber and composites industry, will co-develop advanced carbon fiber composite technologies for potential high-volume use globally in GM cars, trucks and crossovers. The two companies signed a co-development pact that involves use of Teijin’s carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) technology ( earlier post ) , a faster and more efficient way to produce carbon fiber composites that potentially could be introduced on mainstream vehicles. MORE

At the Composites Europe event in Dusseldorf, Ford Motor Company displayed a prototype carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) hood. As a result of progress made during an on-going Hightech.NRW research project involving engineers from the Ford European Research Centre, production time for an individual carbon fiber hood is fast enough to be employed on a production line—a significant step towards increased usage of lightweight materials in Ford vehicles. MORE

in cooperation with Ford Motor Company, developed a prototype carbon fiber composite subframe which reduces mass by 34% compared to making a stamped steel equivalent. In pursuit of lower vehicle weight to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency, Magna International Inc., MORE

Not the least of it are body shells made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) mounted atop an aluminum rolling platform carrying the powertrains and crash structures. Body Carbon Fiber CFRP weight reduction The BMW i3 electric car and i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe are audacious examples of advanced technology in many ways. MORE

Automobili Lamborghini is a leader in the research and production of carbon fiber composite materials, and the Advanced Composite Lightweight Structures Department of Research & Development provides its experience not only in the automotive field but also in other sectors including biomedical. MORE

Automobili Lamborghini celebrated the grand opening of its new Seattle-based carbon fiber research facility, the Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory (ACSL). Forged Composite is an advanced compression molding technique that utilizes carbon fiber sheet molding compounds. MORE

Hexcel Corporation will invest $250 million in the construction of a carbon fiber plant in Roussilon, France. The new carbon fiber facility will occupy a 37-acre site at the Osiris Chemicals Industry Platform in Roussillon and will incorporate both polymerization and carbonization lines. Carbon fiber from the new plant will be supplied to Hexcel customers including Airbus for the A350 XWB and Safran for the CFM LEAP engine. MORE

Teijin Limited began operating a pilot plant for the fully integrated production of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) components from carbon fiber on the premises of its Matsuyama Factory in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. Teijin, as a global leader in the field of carbon fibers and composites business, is aiming at annual sales of ¥150 to 200 billion (US$1.8 billion) for carbon fiber composite products by around 2020. MORE

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have become the first to 3D-print aerospace-grade carbon fiber composites, opening the door to greater control and optimization of the lightweight, yet stronger than steel material. MORE

Carbon fiber now appears poised to enter the mainstream of automotive materials, but a less high-tech material could be waiting in the wings as well. Bamboo could be the next carbon fiber, according to a new article on BBC Autos (only visible in U.S., apparently). Surfboard manufacturer Gary Young uses bamboo in his boards already, and he told the MORE

MRC) recently executed a share sales and purchase agreement by which it will acquire 51% of Wethje Holding GmbH , a German company engaged in manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) parts for automobile applications, from Wethje parent Cross Industries AG. MRC aims to strengthen and expand the carbon fiber intermediate materials business for automobile applications in Europe. Mitsubishi Rayon Co. MORE

To source the new lightweight track-capable carbon fiber wheels that are standard on the new Shelby GT350R Mustang, Ford partnered with Australia-based Carbon Revolution. Carbon Revolution first began delivering composite wheels in 2004 for Formula SAE campaigns. MORE

Driven by a faster-than-expected pace of technology development, carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) will be poised to gain widespread adoption for automotive lightweighting by 2025, according to a new report from Lux Research, “Scaling Up Carbon Fiber: Roadmap to Automotive Adoption.”. Advances already underway in fiber, resin and composite part production will lead to a $6 billion market for automotive CFRPs in 2020, more than double Lux’s earlier projection. MORE

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award ( DE-FOA-0000996 ) up to $12 million in funding to advance the development of a cost-competitive pathway to produce high-performance carbon fiber for vehicle lightweighting from renewable non-food biomass. Carbon fiber composites are lightweight, yet strong, materials that can greatly improve vehicle fuel efficiency when incorporated into structural and non-structural components. MORE

Tokyo Motor Show Carbon Fiber Gordon Murray Gordon Murray Design YamahaWhen it comes to car design, Gordon Murray has had a highly varied career. He designed the McLaren F1 supercar, as well as the lightweight Rocket single-seat sports car and numerous race cars. Throughout his career, Murray has always emphasized lightweight construction in his designs, and his latest work is no different. DON'T MISS: Tokyo Motor. MORE

Meanwhile, the somewhat more expensive BMW i3 takes a radically different approach to materials and construction; from its carbon-fiber-reinforced Nissan has put a lot of investment into the battery and all-electric powertrain technology in its all-electric Leaf. Yet outside of that, the Leaf is a pretty ordinary small car in materials and layout. MORE

BMW MegaCity Urban Electric Car To Be Built of Carbon Fiber. First, the raw feedstock to make carbon fibers–just call it a “polacrylonitrile-based precursor&# –is made in Japan by a joint venture between SGL and Mitsubishi Rayon and flown to the U.S. The actual carbon fibers themselves are fabricated at Moses Lake, after which they’re flown to Germany, where they’re processed into lightweight fabrics in Wackersdorf. MORE

Carbon fiber is still a fairly exotic material in the automotive industry, but it is likely to become more common--and perhaps faster than expected. BMW said last Friday that it will triple production of carbon fiber at its facility in Moses Lake, Washington, to use in its carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) body shells. MORE

A production line for carbon fiber takes the PAN precursor through two stages (stabilization/oxidation and carbonization) and then to winding. Due to the high demand for carbon fiber in automotive production, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers , a joint venture between the BMW Group and the SGL Group, will triple the capacity of the carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, Washington. 3,000 tons of carbon fiber. MORE

On Thursday, we brought you news that BMW was planning to ditch its partnership with GM to develop fuel cell vehicles, for Japanese rival Toyota. That news has now been confirmed, with a joint press conference on Friday heralding the start of BMW and Toyota's partnership. The automakers' Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) includes plans for joint MORE