Europe Considered Banning Carbon Fibre In Cars. Here's What Happened
The European parliament considered banning the lightweight compound due to sustainability and health concerns.
By Syazwan Bahri — 16 Apr 2025, 05:58 PM
The European parliament recently considered banning carbon fibre, a lightweight material commonly used in cars
Carbon fibre is highly valued in the automotive industry for its ability to make cars both lighter and sturdier.
However, the European Union considered classifying it as a harmful material due to potential health risks. This was indicated by a proposed amendment to the End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, as reported by the Japanese newspaper Nikkei.
The European Union's ELV directive aims to reduce health risks during car dismantling and recycling.
As highlighted by Carscoops, the EU's regulatory body was debating whether to include carbon fibre on its list of hazardous vehicle materials. Had this happened, it could have significantly restricted automakers' use of carbon fibre in future vehicles.
The main issue with carbon fibre is sustainability, particularly the process of breaking down and recycling the material
The concern with carbon fibre is that, when cars containing it are dismantled, tiny resin-coated carbon fibre pieces can become airborne. These fibres are a danger as they can embed themselves in human tissue, causing pain and irritation to skin, mucous membranes, and organ linings. Additionally, because they are conductive, these fibres can cause short circuits in machinery.
The proposed change to the ELV directive was reviewed by several EU bodies. Had it been approved, it could have banned carbon fibre in new vehicles from 2029, according to Nikkei. However, industries that rely heavily on carbon fibre, like aerospace, automotive, and wind turbine manufacturers, strongly opposed this move.
The European Parliament has stepped back from banning the material altogether
A representative from the European Parliament informed Motor1 Italia that carbon fibre has been removed from the proposed list of harmful materials in a recent revision. This means that cars sold in Europe will stillto be allowed to use carbon fibre even after 2029.
