Toray Industries, a leading producer of carbon fiber material, will begin supplying both Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries (parent company of Subaru) with the lightweight product for use on upcoming vehicles. Toyota will reportedly use the carbon fiber to produce hoods and roofs for the Lexus LFA, a limited production sports car, and Fuji Heavy will offer optional carbon fiber roofs on several of Subaru's sportier offerings.
Carbon fiber is expected to become quite common in the automotive market and Toray's revolutionary production method, which substantially reduces costs, will make the material more accessible to automakers. Carbon fiber is touted for its weight-reducing qualities, which allows automakers to trim mass from vehicles and increase fuel efficiency at the same time. Toyota kicks off production of the LFA this December and the company claims that the unique sports car will become the first mass-produced, Japanese-built auto to employ carbon fiber body panels
[Source: Green Car Congress]
Carbon fiber is expected to become quite common in the automotive market and Toray's revolutionary production method, which substantially reduces costs, will make the material more accessible to automakers. Carbon fiber is touted for its weight-reducing qualities, which allows automakers to trim mass from vehicles and increase fuel efficiency at the same time. Toyota kicks off production of the LFA this December and the company claims that the unique sports car will become the first mass-produced, Japanese-built auto to employ carbon fiber body panels
[Source: Green Car Congress]
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