Composites Manufacturing reported that according to a newly published report from IHS Markit, titled “IHS Chemical Carbon Fibres, Chemical Economics Handbook,” the usage of carbon fiber in automotive manufacturing is expected to nearly double from 2015 to 2020.

According to the report, global car production is expected to rise over the next few years to more than 110 million units in 2025, up from the estimated 88.7 million units in 2015. Much of the growth will come from the fast-expanding Chinese market. The report says the average car will incorporate nearly 350 kilograms (771.63 lbs.) of plastics, up from 200 kilograms (440.92 lbs.) in 2014.

This estimated spike is driven by increasingly ambitious government goals to meet Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards of 54.5 mpg by 2025. IHS Markit estimates that in order for those goals to be feasible, fuel economy must be improved by approximately 50 percent across the passenger vehicle fleet. The use of carbon fibers and polymer matrix composites enable car-body weight reductions of an estimated 25 to 70 percent compared to competing materials, according to IHS.

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