Sounds like Government Motors is going to burn through a bunch more taxpayers money.

Would be a lot happier if they decided to use more hemp fibre. I understand it would be somewhat better for the environment too.

They may be spending taxpayer money, but at least they\'re spending it on making better cars instead of buying private jets.

re; AngryPenguin
For people who fly a lot a private jet can be more cost effective than flying commercial.

Wingless air vehicles are coming. Stay away from ICE.

Speaking of bio fiber substitution; bamboo has superior tensile strength to grade 40 steel with compressive strength superior to concrete.

\"...GM\'s long standing commitment to innovation.\"?? If there was any truth to that GM would not be dying. It would still be a world leader. This partnership \"demonstrates\" a last gasp attempt to employ leap frog technology. I\'ll bet they screw it up, but I hope I\'m wrong. I\'ve been waiting 44 years for them to wake up and build a sexy, light weight, low drag, economic coup.

Great to see the technology will be applied to everyday cars.
I suspect within a decade carbon-fibre reinforced plastic will be the standard material for all vehicle bodies form cars to trucks trains and planes due to the performance advantages it offers.
Its a particularly attractive material for electric cars as it presents the virtuous cycle of decreasing car and battery weight and increasing range. In a decade, range anxiety in electric cars could be a thing of the past.

Beyond carbon fibre are the nano materials. There commercial manufacture should be focused on. They have superior capabilities.

Stewart Mitchell - Please explain \"Wingless air vehicles are coming. Stay away from ICE\" and how it relates to carbon fibre in automobile construction.
voluntaryist - \"If there was any truth to GM\'s long standing commitment to innovation then GM would not be dying\".....I can\'t speak to living or dying, but to innovation..... who can deny that the Volt is not the most innovative mass production vehicle on the road today.....AND.....substituting carbon fiber for steel has to qualify as a MAJOR innovation. It\'s stronger, lighter and will not rust. Both Nissan and Audi are working on batteries that re-charge safely in 3 to 5 minutes and last for a long, long, long time. Put those in a car made of carbon fiber and drive it for 20 years without it rusting away. Think taxi\'s, delivery vans, a school or transit bus, long and short haul trucking..... the list goes on. I would pay more for a vehicle I could drive and own for 10 to 15 years then pass on to my grandchildren for their first car. Cars are more expensive and need to last longer to make economic sense. There is not enough room to continue......but there is LOTS more.