Is graphene the new carbon fiber?
Progress in the automotive industry is not solely down to engines and infotainment systems, as it also affects the type of materials used to dress the cars.
One such example is BMW and their use of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) on models like the i3, but also for shedding weight off their sportiest offerings, like the M3 and M4.
However, we're not here to discuss the Bavarian manufacturer. Our focus stays with BAC, aka Briggs Automotive Company and their graphene-imbued Mono.
To be more specific, the one-off creation uses graphene wheel arches developed by Haydale Composite Solutions. BAC chose to test the new material on these particular body parts due to their size and complexity, as they wanted to better understand the manufacturing process and, ultimately, how the material went together with the car.
And since we figured out the madness called BAC Mono is way more familiar to you than graphene, here's a quick bringing up to speed.
Sheets of carbon just one atom thick are stacked up to create graphene, which is 20% lighter than carbon fiber and 200% stronger than steel. So in theory, it could have beneficial implications regarding matters like cost, performance, and even fuel economy.
So you're now wondering whether graphene can become a 'thing' in the automotive industry, right? It's hard to tell, but if other carmakers decide to jump the bandwagon, we might see a new material making its way into our (performance) cars.