Han Ximin
AN advanced lightweight car piqued the curiosity of visitors at Hall 5 of the China Hi-Tech Fair even though it is still in development.
The vehicle, similar in size to the Chery QQ, is 60 kilograms lighter than conventional steel cars, with many components made of carbon fiber.
A big advantage of carbon fiber is that it is one-fifth the weight of steel yet just as strong and stiff, which makes it ideal for structural or semi-structural components in automobiles, said professor Wang Lirong of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The car incorporates 21 kilograms of carbon fiber and 10 kilograms of other lighweight materials, resulting in greater fuel efficiency as smaller engines can be used.
It has a top speed of 100 km/h, and what s more, all its carbon fiber components can be fully recycled.
Studies have shown that replacing half the steel in a car with lightweight materials can reduce a vehicle s weight by 60 percent and fuel consumption by 30 percent.
What s more, carbon fiber is just as safe perhaps even safer than the materials used in conventional automobiles.
Theoretically speaking, the car, which left the laboratory a month ago, is 20-30 percent stronger than automobiles with a steel chassis, Wang said, pointing out that Formula 1 cars are required by mandate to be made from carbon fiber to meet safety requirements.
The vehicle saw its debut at the China (Shenzhen) International Industrial Fair before its appearance at the China Hi-Tech Fair.
We wanted to see the market response through the fair and are very happy with the level of interest shown. Some even made orders Saturday, Wang said.
The use of carbon fiber is expected to bring dramatic changes in automobile production. Japan and Germany are planning mass production of carbon fiber vehicles in the next two to three years.
