New materials and automotive design

Abstract

Since the oil crises of the 1970s it has become vital for the automotive industry to improve thermodynamic efficiency and motion transmission, to reduce friction losses, to strengthen research into aerodynamics, and to reduce the weight of vehicles. All these factors lead to innovation in vehicle design, and hitherto unknown materials and shapes become commonplace. This paper endeavours to define the challenge new materials pose to car makers and to outline the advantages and drawbacks of their use.