General Motors plans to change their tradition of building steel trucks and move towards a more costly, lightweight material; carbon fiber. This is a surprise for the brand as they pride themselves in their durable, heavy duty trucks. After Ford motors announced they would build their truck bodies from aluminum, GM was quick to criticize the move. The questioned whether aluminum would be as durable as steel when it comes to work trucks. The idea of carbon fiber is to build a lighter, yet durable truck. The problem with carbon fiber is its difficulty to manufacture, and its high price.
Many GM spokesmen decline to discuss the future of the company but rumors regarding this topic are very strong. Others in the company comment the move is needed to meet future regulations regarding gas emissions.
GM is adopting this new material in order to stay competitive within the market. When Ford made the move to build with aluminum they found great success. Their trucks were lighter and extremely fuel efficient. People normally pull themselves away from trucks because of their costly gas consumption but Ford was able to tackle that problem. In order for General Motors to stay competitive they must reduce the weight of their trucks and improve their miles per gallon. Furthermore, regulators are demanding a more efficient vehicle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gms-latest-weapon-in-pickup-truck-wars-carbon-fiber-1512565200
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