Ford Motor Co. is entering into a joint venture with
carbon-fiber manufacturer DowAksa, a move aimed at more widely
using the costly material to significantly reduce the weight of
vehicles that need to meet tougher emissions standards.
The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker took a leadership position in
the use of advanced materials when it released an aluminum F-150
pickup truck late last year. Ford's highest volume and most
profitable vehicle, the F-150's fuel-economy numbers improved as a
result of the design change.
DowAksa is a joint venture between Dow Chemical Co. and Aksa
Akrilik Kimya Sanayii A. Long considered to be an expensive exotic
material and hard for car companies to mass produce, auto makers
like Ford have been gradually increasing the use of the material.
Currently, carbon fiber is most seen as the material for use on
sports cars, such as hoods or entire bodies, but higher-volume
vehicles are increasingly employing it.
A recent survey published by Plastics News estimates carbon
fiber for automotive costs $10 to $12 a pound, compared with the
publication's estimate of less than $1 for the same amount of
steel. The cost of carbon fiber for automotive is down one-third
from the price a decade ago, the publication said, but needs to be
cut in about half to be commercially viable for widespread
adoption.
Ford has said its next-generation GT supercar will be made
largely of carbon fiber. BMW AG is using carbon fiber for the body
structure of its small i3 electric car.
The material is 50% lighter than conventional steel and 30%
lighter than aluminum, according to the American Chemistry Council.
Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American
Chemistry Council, says use of 3-D printing and other innovations
have helped lower the cost of manufacturing with carbon fiber, and
reduced the amount of time it takes to develop components made of
the material.
Plastics currently compose about 50% of a vehicle's volume, but
only 10% of a vehicle's weight. Components made from steel,
aluminum or other metals often contribute more weight.
Tighter fuel-economy rules scheduled to be phased in over the
next decade are forcing car companies to make slimmed-down cars and
trucks. Known as "lightweighting," the process has accelerated the
use of smaller engines and other, lighter components.
In a news release issued Friday, Ford said its aim is to "bring
carbon fiber components to the broader market." The companies will
develop cheaper grades of carbon fiber and open the door to a
potential manufacturing relationship.
The partnership comes on the heels of a widely cited IHS
automotive study that said total weight in cars must be reduced by
30% to meet federal fuel-economy standards set for 2025. IHS
expects the average car to use 75% more plastic by 2020, and
expects the auto industry's use of carbon fiber to nearly triple by
2030.
Write to John D. Stoll at john.stoll@wsj.com
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