The European Union plans to end the use of carbon fiber in cars.

Carbon fiber is a fairly common material today in high-end and high-performance vehicles, thanks to its two main properties: lightness and resistanceReducing a vehicle's weight is essential in both supercars and electric vehicles, as long as it doesn't affect strength or durability, so carbon fiber seems like the perfect solution.

A recent proposal from the European Union could, however, end up limiting its use by car manufacturers, who would have to use other alternative materials, since it considers carbon fiber to be a dangerous material.

The European Parliament has drafted an amendment seeking to include carbon fiber on the list of materials considered hazardous by the European Union, along with lead, cadmium, and mercury, for example. This initiative is part of the revision of an EU directive related to the recycling of end-of-life vehicles and suggests that carbon fiber It can eventually be released into the air and cause damage when it comes into contact with the skin.This is particularly striking, as there is no known conclusive scientific study to support this idea.

Possible date of application of this measure

If this amendment is finally approved, Its entry into force would take place in 2029, so car manufacturers would have to completely eliminate carbon fiber in their vehicles by that date and opt for other alternative materials. These could include fiberglass, Kevlar, expanded polypropylene (EPP), reinforced plastics, aluminum, high-strength steels, and even graphene. The strength, lightness, and cost of each of these materials vary, however, so it would be necessary to study whether their use would be viable in each case.

In Japan, the world's leading producer of carbon fiber, this news has been a cold shower, and the shares of several Japanese companies in the sector have seen their prices plummet. And yet, for now, it's nothing more than a proposal that has yet to be approved. The carbon fiber industry generated a total of $5.500 billion in 2024, which represents a considerable turnover.

We will be attentive in the coming weeks and months to see how this matter evolves, because surely this story There are still several more chapters leftAny news we hear about this, as always, we will tell you here at HighMotor.