Huntsmsn Advanced Materials, part of the Huntsmsn Corporation, announced its findings on the use of composites in the automotive industry, based on customer needs assessment and their attitude to lightweight technologies and materials.

Their aim was to understand the dynamics of the automotive industry and gain insights to guide innovations towards the technical solutions needed by the industry. According to the results of this study, which was conducted during a detailed interview in various countries and with more than 160 automotive manufacturers, engineers and car makers, the carbon dioxide emission laws and fuel efficiency are among the main factors for converting lightweight materials. But two of the costs of long-term access to carbon fibers have prevented a larger number of manufacturers from composing their mass production. Another barrier to the use of fiber-reinforced plastics in mass production of the car is the lack of knowledge about how to design the composites appropriately. According to the study, fiber reinforced composites will be used more often in sports cars over the next ten years, and will probably penetrate the main car segments over a longer period of time. The development of electronics also affects the use of composites because the car makers are looking for lightweight, more energy-efficient models.