What are the applications and challenges of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) in vehicles?

CFRP offers the best strength-to-weight ratio but is expensive. Applications include roof panels, structural components in supercars, driveshafts, and trim pieces. BMW i3/i8 pioneered high-volume CFRP body structures. Challenges include high material and manufacturing cost, long cycle times (addressed by HP-RTM, press forming), joining to metals, repairability concerns, recyclability issues, and crash energy absorption characteristics (brittle failure). Hybrid approaches using CFRP with metal reinforcements balance performance and practicality.