General Motors is clearly looking to the future of the automobile – as evidenced by the unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt – but future tech (read green) won’t just be limited to alternative propulsion vehicles. Lightweight vehicle materials will also play a major role in future vehicle designs and GM believes it has co-developed a winner with Massachusetts’ Quantum Leap Packaging, Inc.
One of the biggest opponents of fuel economy is weight, which has the world’s automakers looking for light-weight but cost effective vehicle materials. While materials like carbon fiber are still years away from being financially viable, GM may have developed a new polymer that could offer low weight and high strength at a relatively low cost.
Dubbed Quantech, the newly developed polymer is said to have about the same coefficient of expansion as steel, density on par with magnesium and a high amount of stiffness, according to Automotive News. GM is currently evaluating Quantech for structural applications, underhood parts and components, as well as exterior pieces. Although the material still has a few tests to complete before it makes it into production cars, GM is very pleased with testing thus far and says that Quantech could be used in production in as little as six months.
Although Quantech won’t save GM on the production side of things – it costs about as much as materials currently used – its light-weight and high strength should allow GM vehicles to shed a few pounds and improve overall fuel economy and performance. And with CAFE regulations looming on the horizon, ever last bit helps.
