The global automotive market is expected to grow to 100 million vehicles by 2019 according to Owens Corning market data presented by Corey Melvin in a CAMX educational session on Wednesday, Dec. 13. “Shortly thereafter, we can expect to save 100 kilograms [about 220 pounds] of weight per car due to composites,” said Melvin, global product manager for long fiber thermoplastics at Owens Corning.
There are several trends in the automotive market that are helping composites grow, including the well-publicized government-mandated targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve fuel economy. But there are others.
“A big trend for the composites industry is increased comfort and increased vehicle functionality,” said Melvin. “People want more stuff in their car – they want gadgets. And who knows what they’ll want when we have autonomous vehicles driving us around?” That presents lots of opportunities for the composites industry, he said. Read More….