Auto industry continue to pursue sustainability and lightweight plastics and polymer composites, in order to improve fuel efficiency.Some exciting new invention has been available safety performance.In early 2015, BMW has announced that pure electric BMW i3 body will use the carbon fiber reinforced plastic, this is the material on the new applications in the field of automotive innovation.Lightweight plastics and polymer composites for electrical and more traditional power system is essential to achieve a new improve fuel efficiency.

In the car chassis has a unique carbon fiber plastic collision protection structure, light honeycomb structure can absorb positive impact pressure.BMW is innovative to use a variety of materials to assembly technology, containing soft plastic "bottoming out" - shock absorber prevention pad and plastic energy absorption bumper installed/aluminum composite.Through the whole white body lightweight case, BMW i3 shows us car platform flexibility and effectiveness in the future.

According to the U.S. department of energy data, auto parts use advanced lightweight materials can reduce the weight of the passenger car half, a 35% increase in fuel efficiency.This is also the carmaker is stepping up the composite carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) the main reason for using.

Under the developing trend of automobile lightweight, the use of lighter, advanced materials such as CFRP is conform to the United States since 2025 the average fuel economy (CAFE) at 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 litres/hundred kilometers) standards.In addition, according to j.d. power survey, new car buyers think, an important index of fuel economy is still decided to buy a car.

CFRP is very light, but the intensity is high, 10 times stronger than steel is 50% lighter than steel and lighter than aluminium 30%.

"The combination of carbon fiber and lightweight plastic matrix created a kind of advanced composite materials, a tougher than other materials can be yourself" Steve Russell said, he is a plastic, vice chairman of the American chemistry council, Plastics Make it Possible ® benefactor."These advanced materials will help car manufacturers to achieve their fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, save gas money for consumers."

In addition to improve fuel efficiency, CFRP components can also help improve safety, because compared with steel, 12 times it can absorb the impact energy.