Materials

Carbon fibers

Latest Stories

Q&A
Energy

Hydrogen Industry Vet Says Fuel Cells Still a ‘Go’

Tarek Abdel-Baset, Forvia’s chief engineer for hydrogen storage systems, has two decades of experience in alt-fuel transporation development, with all the ups and downs that entails....

Feature Image

Articles
Electronics & Computers

Balancing the Scales in Dakar

In most kinds of racing, the mantra is simple: simplify and add lightness. Sure, Colin Chapman of Lotus fame was on to something when the route is smooth, but what happens when the racecourse is Mother Nature...

Feature Image

Technology Report
Test & Measurement

Hydrogen Storage Tank Options: Not Everything Need Look like a Sausage

Since the 1860 Hippomoblie, hydrogen has been a part of powered mobility. Today, most hydrogen storage applications use cylindrical tanks, but other solutions are...

Feature Image

News
Materials

Altair Honors Innovations in Automotive Lightweighting and Sustainability

General Motors engineers opted for a battery structure comprised entirely of high-performance polymeric materials for the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray’s hybrid...

Feature Image

Articles
Design

Zero Prototype Summit 2024: The Future Is Closer Than Ever

Despite rainy skies above northeastern Italy in mid-May, the mood at VI-grade’s 2024 Zero Prototype Summit (ZPS) was decidedly sunny. VI-grade’s partners from around the world...

Feature Image

News
Power

Tested: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 Spins up a Winner

I’m used to spinning wheels while testing cars, but the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 is making a spectacle.

Feature Image

News
Energy

Fuel Cell Production Spurs Supplier Opportunities

The head of General Motors’ global fuel-cell business is bullish about ongoing opportunities for suppliers in the emerging hydrogen-power space, as GM and partner Honda Motor Co. began...

Feature Image

News
Power

Honda Showcases Electrified Future of Motorsports

Honda North America has long had a presence in racing and motorsports at every level in the United States. The company has continually supported programs aimed at the highest levels of open...

Feature Image

Articles
Design

A Formula for Real-World Experience

On a hazy, cool day in late May, a massive throng of thousands of collegiate engineers and hundreds of volunteers descended on Michigan International Speedway to put the teams’ engineering, wrenching...

Feature Image

Articles
Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D, No Waiting!

Few will dispute that additive manufacturing — commonly called 3D printing — has endured a development path of fits and starts. But as niche applications, an ever-increasing array of material choices — and the...

Feature Image

Articles
Energy

Hydrogen Storage in a Box!

Until recently, there was only one practical solution for storing gaseous hydrogen for onboard vehicle use: the cylindrical storage tank. Spiral-wound, carbon fiber cylinders are the proven form factor for...

Feature Image

News
Transportation

Recaro Pioneers Seating Shells Made with CF Recyclate

The green flag is about to drop on an auto-racing first: a seat shell infused with recycled carbon fiber.

Feature Image

Technical Innovation
Automotive

Liebherr Reveals ‘Hybrid’ CFRP Cylinders and Parallel-Pump Concept

Reducing weight from components and systems is a major trend in passenger vehicles to boost fuel efficiency and driving range.

Feature Image

News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Launching Aerospace Battery Tech for EVs

Advanced materials and energy storage company Nanoramic Laboratories is in the early stages of a 30-month project to develop a low-cost/fast-charge Li-ion battery for electric vehicles using its...

Feature Image

News
Materials

All-Composite EV Wheel Heads to Production

Designed for EV and niche applications, the first commercially viable, low cost, lightweight, all-composite wheel moves to the next phase of development with a pilot production run. The...

Feature Image

Articles
Manned Systems

Carbon Fiber Research Eyes Roof Frames, Doors

It’s not just for exotic “supercars” and motorcycles anymore. The performance-enhancing attributes of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics continue to be explored by global automakers as they seek...

Feature Image

News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Lightweighting Tour-De-Force: 2021 Ducati Superleggera V4

According to Ducati, the 2021 Superleggera V4 is its most powerful, fastest and most advanced production bike, ever. This is no mean claim from the Bologna-based manufacturer known...

Feature Image

Technology Report
Nanotechnology

Altair Honors Lightweight Advances

Fitting for an industry that collectively is accelerating electric-vehicle launches, Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorcycle won the Full Vehicle category of the 8th annual Altair Enlighten...

Feature Image

News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Ford’s Max Mustang Brings ‘World Class’ into the Sports Coupe Conversation

There’s the old saw about a something being better than the sum of its parts. That phrase applies to the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – despite most of...

Feature Image

News
Materials

2019’s Best Automotive Plastics Innovations

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, now in its 49th year, is considered the “Oscars” for those developing polymer and...

Feature Image

News
Manned Systems

Volvo’s Polestar Powerhouse Plug-In Hybrid

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why Polestar, Volvo’s new electric performance subsidiary, used its first vehicle as a rolling showcase of the brand’s...

Feature Image

News
Propulsion

The Ford GT

As part of its sponsorship of this year’s annual auto-palooza known as the Woodward Dream Cruise, Ford invited media to sample its Ford GT supercar along Detroit’s famous avenue. With its sold-out production run of 1,350...

Feature Image

Technology Report
Design

Mass-Reducing Innovations Honored by Altair

The 4th generation Jeep Wrangler, which eliminated 92 kg (203 lb) compared to the previous-generation vehicle, and Ferrari’s Portofino, which is 80 kg (176 lb) lighter yet 35% stiffer than the...

Feature Image

News
Test & Measurement

Gordon Murray Reveals Lightweight T.50 Supercar: V12, Ground-Effects Fan, $2.5-Million Pricetag

It will be the aural signature of Prof. Gordon Murray, Formula 1 racecar and environmental-efficiency vehicle creator: the sound of a bespoke...

Feature Image

News
Materials

2020 GMC Sierra to Debut New Diesel Along with Expanded 10-Speed, Towing Tech and Carbon-Fiber-Bed Applications

The 2020 GMC Sierra will be the first model year to provide the light-duty truck the option for GM’s new 3.0L Duramax...

Feature Image

News
Lighting

Ford and Its Suppliers Take Top Honors at the 48th SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition

Ford Motor Co. took home top honors at this year's 48th SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, winning the Grand Award for its...

Feature Image

News
Unmanned Systems

High-Altitude Pseudo Satellites: New Battle for Inner Space, Part II

A new development applicable to the production of the Airbus Zephyr lightweight, solar unmanned aircraft is the Airbus Spider radar payload, a novel commercial...

Feature Image

News
Materials

Meritor Pursues Lightweighting Strategies for Drivelines

As with passenger vehicles, reducing the weight of systems and components in commercial vehicles is a key strategy to improve fuel efficiency. In the commercial-vehicle sector, the...

Feature Image

News
Transportation

Gordon Murray Calls New IStream Superlight Chassis Concept a Paradigm Shift

High-profile automotive engineer and designer Prof. Gordon Murray is utterly confident of the potential for his company’s latest iStream Superlight manufacturing...

Feature Image