Audi has put carbon fiber to good use in concept vehicles like the e-tron show cars and a special lightweight A5, which has a carbon fiber hood and rear deck, and in some parts of the R8 and RS 3. The high-tech (and currently expensive) material could make the jump from fancy accoutrement to integral part of future lightweight production cars thanks to the announcement that Audi and Voith GmbH have formed a development partnership to bring “fiber-reinforced materials” to market by “developing a highly automated process chain for high-volume automotive production.” Voith has many years of experience with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), a material that BMW will use in the Megacity EV and other vehicles. Mercedes, too, is interested in carbon fiber, and this is one party that can’t have too many guests.

@funkmasterflex