Brussels is preparing a blow to the automotive industry

The European Parliament is working on an amendment to the Directive on Vehicles that have served their time. This amendment could lead to a ban on the use of carbon fiber in the automotive industry.

The project involves the recognition of carbon as a hazardous material and the introduction of a ban on its use in new vehicles from 2029. The main reason for the proposed ban is the problems associated with the processing and disposal of carbon fiber. According to the creators of the project, during the recycling process, resin-bound fibers get into the air, posing a danger to both people and machines. Microscopic carbon particles can irritate the skin and mucous membranes, penetrate the respiratory tract and disrupt the operation of machines used in the processing process.

In the draft amendment, carbon fiber will join other substances already on the "black list", such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium.

However, according to experts, the ban on the use of carbon fiber will have serious consequences for car manufacturers, especially sports cars, for which carbon is a key structural material that allows you to reduce weight while maintaining high strength. Electric vehicle manufacturers that use carbon fiber to compensate for the additional weight of heavy traction batteries will also be severely affected. Currently, the automotive industry accounts for about 20% of global carbon fiber consumption.

Carbon fiber is widely appreciated in the automotive industry due to its greater strength than steel, with significantly less weight. It is lighter than aluminum and allows you to reduce fuel or energy consumption due to the lower weight of the vehicle.