Why are supercars made of carbon fiber? What are the benefits?

        Speaking of carbon fiber, what do you remember? It's this...

        Or this?

        In fact, the carbon fiber I want to talk about today has something to do with the picture above. Carbon fiber is a fiber material with a carbon content of more than 95%. In other words, the main element of carbon fiber is carbon. It is made of organic fibers such as flake graphite microcrystals, stacked along the axial direction of the fibers, and obtained by carbonization and graphitization.

Light weight

        Research shows that every 10% reduction in body weight reduces fuel consumption by 6% to 8%, emissions by 5 to 6%, 0-100km / h acceleration by 8-10%, and braking distance by 2 to 7 meters. Moreover, the lightweight body can also improve the handling stability of the car

        The biggest advantage of carbon fiber is that it weighs less than 1/4 of steel, which is lighter than metal aluminum. 30% lighter than aluminum and 50% lighter than steel. If all the steel parts of the car are replaced by carbon fiber composite materials, the weight of the car body can be reduced by 300 kg.

High strength

        Carbon fiber is 20 times stronger than iron, and it is the only substance whose strength will not decrease at a high temperature of 2000 ° C. The excellent impact absorption capacity is 4-5 times that of ordinary metal materials. With the same cross-sectional area, carbon fiber can withstand several times more force than steel.

        Carbon fiber is used on the half shaft and the transmission shaft to achieve better transmission efficiency. In addition, carbon fiber is different from metal and has the characteristics of fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance. The carbon fiber components of vehicles have a longer life under normal use.

        However, one of the major disadvantages of carbon fiber materials is their poor plasticity. This is mainly due to the malleability of metal materials such as steel, which can undergo large deformation without damage, and carbon fiber composite materials do not have this characteristic. Therefore, it will break after a strong impact, and can only be replaced if it cannot be repaired, and the cost is higher. This is why only supercars and F1 cars use carbon fiber bodies.

        In general, the performance of carbon fiber materials is far better than that of steel. Under the same conditions, carbon fiber bodies can bring all-round improvements in safety, handling, fuel economy, and durability. We just wait for the cost of carbon fiber materials to drop, and family cars can also "afford" this top-quality material. It is said that the BMW i3 is the cheapest car using carbon fiber, but don't hit it.