The European Union Wants to Ban Carbon Fibre Parts in Cars

When comparing cars from twenty, fifty, or a hundred years ago, we see a dramatic shift in how modern cars are built. Many people mistakenly believe car exteriors consist mainly of various metals, but that’s no longer the case. Carbon fiber is one of the primary materials used in modern automobiles due to its many ideal qualities, such as lightweight, strength, and durability. These factors make it the perfect choice when it comes to high-performance sports cars and motorsport vehicles. Most people would also assume that it is environmentally friendly, as it has a considerably longer lifespan than metal, but new research has come forward that shows carbon fibre parts in a new light. 

Key Challenges in Carbon Fiber Parts Production and Recycling

Researchers and analysts at the Centre for Corrosion Research in Malaysia have discovered that while carbon fiber has a longer life than metal, it takes 14 times more energy to make compared to steel. Additionally, the recycling and recovery process faces numerous problems because scrap carbon fiber cannot melt down and reuse like metal.

The recycling process reuses carbon fiber through thermal pyrolysis, heating it to 700 degrees Celsius. It recovers up to 93 percent of the material, which is a high rate. Unfortunately, during this process, several hazardous gases are released, increasing their environmental impact.  

Shredding: A Less Harmful, Yet Limited Recycling Method for Carbon Fibre Parts

Shredding offers another way to reuse it. This is a mechanical method that does not release these noxious gases, but this recycling process is only for virgin off-cuts and uncontaminated sections. But again, that is not very environmentally friendly. Overall, carbon fibre is laborious to recycle with a low recovery rate, and the European Union is less than satisfied with this fact.  

However, the EU is not just going to war with carbon fibre manufacturers and, in turn, the automotive industry. The new directive revisions exclude several materials, including hexavalent chromium, lead, cadmium, and mercury. Out of all these, carbon fibre will have the most impact on vehicles. 

Potential Impact of Draft Legislation

At the moment, these new directive revisions are just in the draft legislation phase, like many other tariffs and directives across the globe. If the final revisions pass and restrict carbon fiber use in the automotive industry, they will change how manufacturers produce cars. A complete ban on its use will throw many manufacturers, especially those producing high-end supercars, into chaos, as they rely heavily on this material. The quality of vehicles will decline, and many people will lose their jobs and livelihoods.

Closing Notes on Carbon Fibre Parts

One silver lining is that the EU said there would be exemptions to these restrictions and bans, but they have not released any details about what this might entail. However, experts believe that automotive manufacturers will get up to eighteen months to prepare if any manufacturing rules change. Also, it is worth mentioning that even if the EU changes its rules, this does not mean that it will affect any US or UK car manufacturing, but let’s hope that it won’t even come to that.