00:00Welcome to the video from the Auto Magazine Tuning Blog.
00:03Today we're talking about a topic that's making the automotive industry very nervous.
00:07The European Union may want to ban carbon fiber in cars.
00:12It sounds unbelievable, but it's not.
00:16Although carbon fiber is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel,
00:20a current draft for revising the EU's End-of-Life Vehicles Directive
00:24classifies the material as hazardous for the first time worldwide.
00:30Until now, materials such as lead, mercury, cardmium, and hexavalent chromium
00:35were considered hazardous, but were still permitted in the automotive sector through exemptions.
00:41Now the tide could turn, and carbon fiber is at the center of the discussion.
00:46The draft comes from the European Parliament, which shapes EU legislation,
00:51and aims to make the recycling and dismantling of vehicles more environmentally friendly.
00:56And despite its advantages, carbon fiber seems destined to be left out of the picture in the
01:02future. Today, carbon fiber is used not only in the aviation industry, but also in wind turbines,
01:09motorcycles, and, of course, in cars, especially in expensive, high-performance models.
01:15The reason is obvious. It is extremely light and yet particularly strong.
01:19Their disadvantage. Manufacturing is complex and expensive. Nevertheless, for many manufacturers,
01:25the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Especially in electric cars, which are significantly
01:31heavier than vehicles with combustion engines due to their large battery packs, the use of carbon
01:36fiber helps reduce weight and thus improve range and handling. Two factors that are particularly
01:42crucial in the premium segment. The fact that the EU now classifies carbon fiber as hazardous is due
01:49to an aspect that has received little attention so far. If carbon fiber bonded with resin is
01:54disposed of, fine filaments can be released into the air. These not only cause short circuits in machines,
02:01but also irritate human skin and mucous membranes. This makes the material problematic from the EU's
02:07perspective. If the ban actually comes into effect, it will hit three Japanese companies particularly hard.
02:14Tor Industries, Taigijin, and Mitsubishi Chemical. They dominate the global market with a total of 54%.
02:23For Torre alone, cars are the third largest business segment after aircraft and wind turbines,
02:29and half of this is produced in Europe. The economic damage would be correspondingly significant.
02:35Many European manufacturers, such as McLaren, whose entire super sports car chassis are made of carbon,
02:41would also be affected. Currently, the automotive industry accounts for 10-20% of the global carbon
02:48fiber market, and this trend is expected to rise sharply, particularly due to the boom in electric
02:53vehicles. The global market volume for carbon fiber was approximately 5.5 billion euros in 2024.
03:01According to forecasts by the US analysis firm Roots Analysis, it is expected to grow to around 16
03:07billion euros by 2035, representing an average annual growth rate of 11%.
03:14A potential EU ban would significantly slow this trend. The good news is that if the ban does come into
03:21effect, it will not come into force until 2029 at the earliest. This leaves manufacturers some time to
03:28adapt, but it is not much, especially given the long development cycles of modern vehicles.
03:36By comparison, the global situation has changed drastically in less than four months since Donald
03:41Trump returned to office as the 47th US President.
03:47The introduction of a 25% import tariff on imported cars on April 2 alone has shaken global markets.
03:54Here, too, nothing has been finalized yet, as many countries want to negotiate this measure with the
04:02US government. Perhaps the planned carbon fiber ban in Europe will ultimately remain only a draft.
04:10Unless, of course, you're part of the management of one of the affected Japanese companies or McLaren.
04:16As always, you'll find the link to read the article in our magazine in the video description.
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