ELG to produce carbon fibre components for Chinese cars

ELG Carbon Fibre, based in the Black Country, and Chinese firm Adesso Advanced Materials have agreed to develop lightweight composite components for the Chinese automotive industry based on ELG’s recycled carbon fibre materials.

The companies will cooperate to make carbon fibre structures for the Chery eQ1 electric car.

They hope to reduce the weight of the eQ1, which already uses aluminium technology, through selective use of carbon fibre composites. This knowledge can be then used on Chery’s conventional vehicles.

The carbon fibre parts will be made in Wuhu, China, where Adesso Materials and the Chinese state-owned car builder Chery have their plants. 

Frazer Barnes, Managing Director of ELG Carbon Fibre said: “The eQ1, through its extensive use of aluminum, already represents a huge advancement in lightweighting for the Chinese car industry. We are pleased to be working with the innovative engineering team at Adesso and Chery to help them take the next step forward and start introducing carbon fibre composites into their vehicles.”

Bo Liang, President of Adesso, said: “Working together in this project enables us to address the barriers preventing large scale use of carbon fibre composites in automotive applications, namely cost, through the use of recycled materials, design and manufacturing, and collaboration with experienced partners. Our vision is that cooperation leads to an automotive composites hub in Wuhu. It also strengthens our vision on sustainability of the composite industry in China.”