Is carbon fiber worth it on cars?

Carbon Fibre, a high-strength and high-modulus fibre material with more than 95% carbon contents, has attracted wide attention for its remarkable performance in various fields. The use of carbon fibre in the automobile industry is not only common in supercars but also gradually spreading to ordinary passenger cars.

Carbon Fiber Applications on Cars

• Brake Pads

The application of carbon fiber composite materials in brake pads mainly appears high-performance cars and racing cars. This is due to the great wear resistance and thermal stability of carbon fiber, which can make little differences during extreme braking conditions such as high-speed braking, thus extending their lifespan even further. Moreover, carbon fibre brake discs are also designed light weight wise so that they reduce non-suspended mass of vehicles enabling them to respond faster improving their handling.

• Wheel Hubs

Automotive manufacturers have shown interest in carbon fiber wheel hubs as a result of their good lightweight strength characteristics. Carbon wheel hubs have lower mass and higher stiffness when compared to conventional metal wheel hubs which consequently leads to reduced non-suspension masses, acceleration improvements and fuel economy gains. So many high-performance automobiles and race cars now prefer this device hence becoming one of the possible purchases for them.

• Car Body and Chassis

Carbon fiber composites are favored by automobile body chassis because they provide excellent strength and lightness. By exchanging steel with these fibers, car makers can significantly decrease weight while increasing performance and mileage per liter of fuel burned. Experimental data indicate that vehicle’s weight can be reduced by 40-60% using these materials for the production of bodies and chassis thereby greatly improving its handling ability together with enhancing acceleration.

Advantages of Carbon Fiber in Cars

• Lightweight

The main advantage or selling point of lightweight properties about carbon fibre composites is the fact that; car manufacturers can reduce vehicle weight significantly through replacing traditional metallic materials with this type hence improve its overall performance and fuel efficiency.

• Strength and Safety

The strength of carbon fiber composite materials may be light but it is not lesser than steel. In case of car crash, carbon fiber composite materials normally possess energy absorption capacity that is several times higher than those made from steel hence making it possible to use Carbon Fiber in the field of automotive safety.

• Fuel Economy

This was because one of the greatest factors taken into consideration during automotive designing today is environmental protection as this has led to increasing global awareness. The fuel economy comparing with other car body material made by carbon fiber composites can significantly reduce consumption and emissions.

Applications of Carbon Fiber Products in Ordinary Vehicles

Carbon fiber products have also extended into ordinary passenger vehicles apart from being used in high-performance cars and racing cars. For instance, fitting carbon fibre engine hoods, side skirts and rear spoilers do not only enhance sportiness and fashion related to cars but also reduce vehicle drag coefficients thereby improving mileage per gallon.