Automotive

Kordsa is supplying carbon fibre fabrics to TRB Lightweight Structures for the mass-production of parts of battery enclosures for electric vehicles (EVs). 

Polypropylene (PP) sandwich panels from nonwovens specialist Fynotej of  Mexico City are to be used to produce the boot-floors of two vehicles. 

The partners on a project to develop methods for the production of  hybrid, load-bearing suspension components for Ford's Transit van have been recognised with an award for design at the Compos

Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) windscreen frames are to be produced for a high-volume vehicle from BMW by Koller Kunststofftechnik GmbH. 

In its quest to use more carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs), Nissan is refining compression resin-transfer moulding (C-RTM) methods that enable it to make components from such composites in u

Significant progress is being made by a consortium in the UK, as it works to develop a commercially viable all-composite wheel for electric and niche vehicles, such as driverless cars, last-mile de

McLaren has developed what it claims to be the first part for a Formula One (F1) car to be made from a natural fibre-reinforced plastic.  

Fabrics made from flax and a bio-based resin are to be used to manufacture body panels for what is described by its manufacturer as the world’s first purpose-built, 16-t electric vehicle (EV) desig

An epoxy resin-based prepreg developed by Toray Advanced Composites of Morgan Hill, California, USA, for the production of parts for motorsports applications has passed a number of flame-retardancy

A reinforced thermoplastic boot floor has been developed for Hyundai’s Creta sports utility vehicle (SUV) by honeycomb-core manufacturer EconCore and tier-1 automotive supplier DPA Moldados.

Penso of Coventry, UK, has invested £16.3 million in the production of lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bodies for 3.5-t commercial vehicles for the home-delivery sector.

BMW Group has awarded its compatriot SGL Carbon a multi-year contract for the production of a glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP)-based cover plate for the battery enclosures the carmaker will us

A strong, lightweight, all-plastic brake pedal for a mass-production battery-electric sports car has been developed by BOGE Elastmetall GmbH using reinforced thermoplastics from Lanxess.

Vehicle-seating supplier Adient has entered into an agreement to sell its automotive fabrics manufacturing business to Asahi Kasei subsidiary Sage Automotive Interiors for US$175 million.

The world’s first re-usable plastic spin-on oil-filter module for cars has been developed by BASF and Hengst.

A lightweight composite headrest for a child’s car seat that is simple to produce has been developed by a consortium of companies in Germany and Poland.

Gurit has sold its automotive business (Gurit Hungary Kft in Székesfehérvár) to composite-parts manufacturer Carbopress SpA.

A lightweight seatback for a sportscar has been produced from a combination of carbon fibre-reinforced prepreg and wood fibre-reinforced plastic by Hexcel and NaCa Systems.

A company dedicated to the research and development (R&D), testing and sale of composite and multimaterial automotive components is to be established in Wuppertal, Germany, by Teijin.

Volkswagen (VW)’s first innovation hub in North America is to be opened at the University of Tennessee (UT) Research Park in Knoxville, USA.

Carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) backrests have been developed for Guangzhou Automobile Group Co (GAC) Ltd’s ENO.146 electric concept car by the carmaker’s research and development (R&

A substantial contract for the high-volume production of carbon fibre-reinforced and glass fibre-reinforced plastic cover plates for battery enclosures has been awarded to SGL Carbon of Wiesbaden,

In preparation for the production of its fully electric iNEXT car, the BMW Group is investing around €400 million in its largest European production plant in Dingolfing, Germany.  

Glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) longitudinal leaf springs are being used for the first time by Ford of Dearborn, Michigan, USA.

Ways in which composites could be used to increase the power density, and reduce the size, of the integrated electric drive units (EDUs) for electric vehicles (EVs) are to be investigated by a part

A by-product from the roasting of coffee beans could soon be used in the manufacture of automotive parts such as headlamp housings.

Composite electrodes for structural supercapacitors have been developed by researchers at Texas A&M University of College Station, USA.

Plastic Omnium of Levallois, France, reports that it has won a significant order from a German manufacturer for the development of 35-MPa (350-bar) hydrogen-storage tanks for use in buses.

An automated assembly line for the manufacture of bodies for lightweight commercial vehicles for the home-delivery sector from carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) has been unveiled by Penso of

Multiaxial fabrics from Vectorply are being used to manufacture the pultruded carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bumper beam for General Motors Co’s 2020 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

A lightweight textile made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibres that can both block and absorb sound waves has been developed for use in automotive engine bays by Autoneum of Winterthur, Sw

A simplified front-end part for motor vehicles has been developed by Porsche of Stuttgart, Germany.

Gurit is to close its automotive production site in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, in mid-2020.

A range of flax fibre-reinforced epoxy prepregs for use in motorsport applications has been introduced by Composites Evolution of Chesterfield, UK.

A pair of carbon fibre-reinforced polypropylenes (PPs) has been developed for use in automotive applications by Borealis of Vienna, Austria.

Plans to raise £5 million of growth capital in the next year have been announced  by carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheel manufacturer Dymag of Chippenham, UK, as it looks to construct a ne

Resin supplier Scott Bader of Wellingborough, UK, has revealed that its urethane acrylate resins are being used to produce the automotive industry’s first curved pultruded carbon fibre-reinforced p

Supplier of composite components to the automotive industry, Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has broken ground on a new manufacturing facility in Seguin, Texas, USA.

Collaborative research into the design and manufacture of strong and lightweight materials for use by the automotive sector will be undertaken in the USA by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and

Henkel of Düsseldorf, Germany, has reached a strategic material supply agreement with manufacturer of one-piece carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheels Carbon Revolution of Geelong, Victoria,

A commercially viable all-composite wheel for electric and niche vehicles, such as driverless cars, last-mile delivery vehicles, road sweepers and agricultural vehicles, is being developed by a con

Fibre-reinforced polyamides (PAs) from Lanxess have been used by L&L Products to reinforce a steel insert for the A-pillars of Porsche’s convertibles and roadsters.

Voith Composites and HRC are to work together to develop next-generation high-pressure hydrogen vessels for fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

A carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) suspension link that is 45% lighter in weight than aluminium versions has been designed and manufactured for a high-end carmaker by Shape Machining Ltd of W

Continuous carbon fibre-reinforced polycarbonates (PCs) from Covestro are being used to produce parts of the wheels for NIO's ES6 and ES8 electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

A battery pack with high energy- and power-densities that features an exoskeleton made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been developed by Williams Advanced Engineering of Wantage, UK

Teijin Ltd of Tokyo, Japan, has completed its acquisition of an automotive composite and component supplier

A contract to deliver one of the largest filament winding lines for the production of tanks for compressed hydrogen gas (CHG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) for the automotive industry has been a

A long-lasting laminar textile for covering the paste-like active masses found on the electrodes of lead-acid batteries has been developed by Johnson Controls Autobatterie.