As a world-renowned car company, Mazda has long been keen to reduce weight as much as possible. Its flagship sports car, the MX-5 Miata, weighs less than 2,400 pounds, thanks to the company's strategy of keeping weight as low as possible. However, there has to be a more fundamental change in the vehicle's lightweight strategy, and the Japanese automaker seems to be looking for new materials for its upcoming products.
Having recently secured a patent, this car manufacturer has detailed the methods and processes for manufacturing such a vehicle. The patent does not describe a specific car model but mentions that it will have four doors. Unfortunately, if the manufacturer decides to produce this style of car, it seems unlikely to be a sports car; rather, based on the accompanying processes, it is very likely to be a sedan.
Therefore, with a high probability, Mazda may be researching this technology to reduce the weight of cars in the era of electrification. Other patents recently disclosed by the car manufacturer indicate that it is working hard to create more hybrid and fully electric vehicles, both of which are typically heavier than pure internal combustion engines. One way to deal with this extra mass is to remove it from the next heaviest component of the car, after the powertrain, body, and chassis.
The car manufacturer seems particularly interested in interlacing carbon fiber layers in different directions to create a so-called "quasi-isotropic" material, meaning it can create a material that is strong in every direction where loads are applied. This patented technology not only defines how to manufacture this material but also lists several profiles for different parts of the car. The pillars supporting the roof, the longitudinal beams of the frame, and the crash bumpers are all shown to have different cross-sections.
By designing carbon fiber in different directions, MazBy designing carbon fiber in different directions, Maz composite material that is strong along it is unlikely that they will produce full carbon fiber chassis in their regular car manufacturing process. Instead, they will consider using carbon fiber only in selected areas of the car, such as roof pillars, front impact structures, sill plates, and frame rails.
According to the legal details of the patent document, Mazda did not independently develop this carbon fiber chassis; the patent has also been assigned to Nippon Steel Chemical Materials Co., Ltd. In other words, this company is likely to be Mazda's partner in developing carbon fiber structures.
Although we cannot be certain when or if Mazda cars with carbon fiber chassis will hit the streets based solely on this publicly disclosed patent technology, perhaps one day soon, Mazda may sell a hybrid or electric sedan that is much lighter than its competitors due to the use of carbon fiber structural materials. The future awaits our observation.