'Less is more'

France's Faurecia SA created its “Less is More” demonstrator to showcase several of its technologies that cut weight, emissions and noise in vehicles. Plastics News met with Christophe Aufrere, Faurecia's chief technology officer, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit for a tour of the innovations.

And while currently the high price of carbon fiber means its not cost-effective for many parts, Faurecia is developing some components with an eye on a future where the cost of material is driven down.

An exposed-carbon roof created with resin-transfer molding can provide as much as 60 percent weight savings over a steel roof. Woven carbon fibers are visible through a smooth, even clear coat and the fiber length and orientation can be customized to the needs of the component.

Faurecia also displayed a carbon fiber-reinforced liftgate concept weighing only 15.4 pounds, with a thermoset resin structural inner lining and a thermoplastic outer shell.