🚖GM to use carbon fiber in redesigned pickup beds
DETROIT — General Motors plans to use carbon fiber for the beds of its redesigned full-size pickups to improve performance and reduce weight, Automotive News has learned.
Two sources familiar with the company’s plans confirmed the use of the high-strength material, which has primarily been reserved for luxury vehicles and sports cars because it costs significantly more than steel and aluminum.
Carbon fiber, according to one source, is expected to be used as part of a mix of materials for the box of the pickups, including aluminum.
The truck beds could mark GM’s first use of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic, a product the automaker announced it was co-developing with Japan-based Teijin Limited in 2011.
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