In a recent report, analysts from IHS Markit predicted that electric vehicles will account for more than 30% of new cars sold in key automotive markets by 2040 – up from just 1% of new car sales in 2016. What place does carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) have in this electric future? In recent years, this strong, stiff and lightweight composite has started to see use in mainstream vehicles, such as BMW’s 7 Series and Audi’s A8, as carmakers look to meet increasingly stringent global regulations on fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions. 

In the short term at least, it seems OEMs will also need to minimise the weight of their EVs. Consumers are used to achieving ranges of a few hundred kilometres from conventional internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. To achieve a comparable range from an EV, a very large, expensive and heavy battery pack is required, the weight of which needs to be offset if a mass spiral – increased secondary mass effects such as larger brakes – is to be avoided. At least at the premium end of the EV market, it seems that CFRPs could play a key role here…