Cars and trucks could become lighter and more fuel-efficient under a joint partnership announced last week that makes use of research conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The joint partnership between Ford Motor Co. and Dow Automotive Systems seeks to develop low-cost, high-volume carbon fiber composites for next-generation vehicles. It will leverage work that The Dow Chemical Company has already begun through partnerships with ORNL.
Ford wants to cut the weight of new cars and trucks by up to 750 pounds by the end of the decade. It’s a key component of the company’s strategy to improve fuel efficiency, according to an ORNL press release.
Last week’s partnership announcement came in conjunction with the second meeting of the Oak Ridge Carbon Fiber Composites Consortium, held April 11-12 at ORNL. Kathleen Hogan, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy, gave the keynote address.
The two-day meeting drew 81 participants, and it included an update on the Carbon Fiber Technology Center being constructed in Oak Ridge, technical briefings on ORNL research activities, and discussions of opportunities and challenges facing the evolving carbon fiber market.
The Oak Ridge Carbon Fiber Composites Consortium has grown to include 40 members, and it provides the opportunity for private industry, government agencies, and educational institutions to work together to accelerate the development, demonstration, and commercial adoption of new carbon fiber composite materials and processing techniques for automotive parts, aerospace, wind energy, and other industrial applications.
Learn more at www.cfcomposites.org.
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