You didn’t read the entire quote, which reads: “Unlike metal which twist and bends and crushes, carbon fiber is just tough as nails [but] when it gets hit hard enough it just snaps off.”

There are formulations of Carbon Fiber that have more give, like a composite, but are still prone to breaking under high enough stress (the sudden force of a car to car crash into a catastrophic collapse). On this I think we are both agreed.

However, I would seriously doubt that any mass market cars will ever be built before 2020 that will be largely Carbon Fiber. Though I could see something like the safety cage and body panels made of the material to save weight and because of it’s strength would be fine if given adequate crumple zones or just better structuring over all.

However while the costs of Carbon Fiber Composites have come way down to around $8.00/lb the costs of working with the materials are still high enough that most mainstream makers will not even look at it even over Aluminum. New formulation using natural fibers and less expensive manufacturing processes should bring cost down to Aluminum prices (soeme project as low as $4.50/lb) within a few years.

Err… Find a better comparison.

“and when it gets hit hard enough it just snaps off. I don’t think the safety issue is a concern as much as cost and durability over time.”

I think everyones totally missing the point. Carbon fiber, despite being stronger as you’ve all pointed out, is much more brittle, obviously meaning it doesn’t absorb the impact of a crash. The Smart Car is a great example, instead of having crumple zones it just gets flung like a kid throwing a matchbox car. I’ll be the first to say I’d be horrified to get into an accident with one of those things, I’ve seen the evidence. Now, an accident with another Smart, maybe…

And it’s already been shown that Carbon Fiber has great durability, and can be produced with just a small increase over the expense of aluminum.

There is a great deal of research being done into less expensive formulations and manufactures of Carbon Fiber. The most promising use natural fibers and Microwave “baking” to product a Carbon composite roughly 85% as strong but costing as little as one-tenth the price per pound… or about $4.00/lb. About the same as Aluminum.

But I think Carbon Fiber is not the only material to be used. Honeycombed aluminum, aluminum in general, basically the same recipe used in the C5 and C6 CORVETTES, will reduce weigh.

But all this means quite little if GM, FORD, and CHRYSLER insist on selling full-sized trucks and SUVs that weigh between two and nearly four tons. If they are so intent on building these behemoths then that is where the weigh reductions need to start first. Simply but maing the Cab and bed of a Full Sized Truck out of aluminum and composites could yield 1000lbs in weigh saving with any unusual or expensive technology…

Rivets and structural glue. It works in WW2, in racing the 1960s, and some makers today do it.

The answers are there… but Carbon Fiber is not the only one. If DETROIT wants us to believe that you have to wait until the technology as absolutely perfect then nothing will ever be done. Swap some body panels. Use more aluminum. Build more intelligently conceived structures instead of using heavier gauges or steel in lieu of better structuring.

These are the things that MOST be done to save weigh… not waiting…

But cf in passenger car service is a long ways away. If part of the cf breaks or is stressed, then–correct me if I’m wrong–but there’s no welding it to replace it or make it stronger. And what autobody shop can work with cf to any degree? The only repair is no repair, and that might be asking a bit much for high-volume grade cf.

And GM is selling the car for $100grand ???

Is GM or the buyer an idiot.

Currently the Aerospace industry has caused a spike in world cf prices. This has already resulted in a spike in cf sporting goods. Already expensive bicycles are now hitting $5k plus for a frame and fork only. If the auto industry jumps in and mass produces cf sporting good prices are really going to spike. I would suspect that they would settle down after new manufacturers jump into the game. In the short term this would hurt. In the long run more people working and experimenting with cf would likely lead to better products for anything constructed of cf.

Hey anyone remember the Fiberglass body Chevrolet Lumina APV and Pontiac Transport Minivans from the early to mid 90′s??? My parents had a 94 Lumina APV. It had the 3800 series V6, got decent gas mileage, and because of the fiberglass body it practically looked like how it did the day my parents got it when we finally donated it a year ago. It lasted us 12 years and had 120,000+ on the odometer, and the engine and trans were also running strong.

Only bad thing about Fiberglass bodies and I’m sure with Carbon Fiber is that when you get into an accident Fiberglass or Carbon fiber won’t hold up like aluminum and steel will. Only downside I can really think with this stuff…