Europe Aims to Ban Carbon Fibre by End of Decade

After leather, which is slowly but surely being abandoned by automakers for environmental reasons, another material could suffer the same fate: carbon fibre.

The European Parliament has proposed a revision to the End of Life Vehicles Directive, which covers recycling, to add it to the list of hazardous materials—along with lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium—as carbon fibre filaments can become airborne and be harmful when in contact with human skin.

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If adopted, carbon fibre would be phased out from 2029, not just in cars but also in all other vehicles and commercial products.

The auto industry alone accounts for 10-20 percent of global carbon fibre demand, according to various sources. This material is mainly used to make components that are both lighter and stronger, such as wheels, seat structures and body panels. Carbon fibre is also used by designers to give cars a sportier look and feel.

It's not just found in exotic and luxury cars, mind you. Over the last decade or so, carbon fibre has trickled down to more entry-level vehicles, such as the Toyota GR Corolla.

Before they start considering alternatives, automakers and other companies using carbon fibre are likely going to put pressure on the European Parliament to reconsider or postpone its decision, as they are doing with the ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles due to come into force in 2035.

Oh, and if European countries ban carbon fibre by the end of the decade, one has to wonder whether others around the world will follow suit, like Canada.