General Motors has mocked rival Ford for its use of aluminum countless times. And despite early reports suggesting the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra would also move to aluminum construction, that doesn’t seem to be the actual case.
However, GM may have an ace up its sleeve with a rather exotic material: carbon fiber. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that GM eyes carbon-fiber beds for the next-generation trucks to shave weight and increase fuel economy. If GM moved forward with the plan, it would be the largest scale adoption of carbon fiber by a long shot. The material is normally reserved for limited-production cars, often much more pricey.
The more expensive material is more complex to work with, too, and not as easy as stamping metal. We’d imagine GM would save such an option for a Sierra Denali or Silverado High Country, or introduce a new range-topping variant altogether. Ford recently introduced a six-figure pickup, GM can certainly do something similar.
Carbon fiber is also stronger than traditional steel or aluminum and could be more resistant to dents and dings. The benefits are there, but just how much could the option cost? We don’t know. And that will be an important question in understanding demand for a carbon-fiber pickup.
Comments
But will it stop a toolbox?
Carbon fibre is stronger than stellar under certain conditions. Steel is more malleable, so it can handle dents and flex better. Carbon fibre may be more rigid sure, but when it reaches failure it breaks, steel can bend. Torsionally the same can be said for steel, and aluminium for that matter.
A dual ply material bed would make sense. Have a tougher material on the top, even a composite, and a light material under that, CF, providing the structural component.
Well Carbon Fiber in this case is not the same as the kind in Race Car parts. It will be thicker and have more plies.
The Rigidness will be molded in so odds are little will be given up there.
As dents? Well the same amount of force to dent a steel bed should bounce off here. I am sure it will have a protective coating and the failure point will be similar to steel or higher.
According to GM it will be stronger than steel and 30%-50% lighter than Aluminum.
Cost at the start may be more but they are working on ways to reduce the labor and production time. Carbon is cheap it is the process that is the expensive part. GM has invested much into molded Carbon Fiber and has claimed to make inroads on this.
As for the impact the reduced weight will really help MPG and load capacity. This is not something that will be wide spread at first but if the benefits prove to be great it will increase performance in many areas and will help sell itself to the people who need it.
Ford charged a premium on the Turbo 4 and it worked. This could increase abilities and may work the same way.
It will be interesting to see how this works.
Yes it will not puncture with a tool box like aluminum.
I have a Carbon Fiber Clamshell hood for a SCCA Trans Am Jaguar at home and even at thinner levels it is very strong and takes a lot of abuse. I expect a well crafted bed will do very well. The key is just how much more.
carbon would never rust or puncture. It could fracture, but it is easily rejoined via resin, as that is all it is essentially. Its production would be as cheap as sourcing fiber. Compression molding is as simple as stamping, though it would take a little longer to bake.
Why not add an optional CF hood ? … WTH might as well throw in some CC brakes. Should be a little cheaper when mass produced.
If this does make it onto the order sheet, it will have to be an option. Carbon fiber is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. I have a Camaro SS and if I’d want to swap out body parts for CF replacements, I would spend a fortune. For instance, a CF trunk lid for my car would cost $1,000.00. CF front fenders? $1,500 per pair. Etc., etc., etc.. Now, imagine making an entire truck bed and tailgate from CF. $5-6k…more? Who knows. It would not be cheap.
its amusing you think the manufacturer pays msrp on CF. Its not costing GM or any other manufacturer that kind of money lol.
sell the CF at cost on the truck and use its benefits to simply sell more trucks then the competition
Funny, because the exposed carbon weave “mohawk” on the ’12-’15 ZL1 hood was a $600 option. Yes, a small, 2’x3′ carbon fiber insert cost the customer an additional $600. Now, what were you saying again? LOL!