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Ford starts using new material in car construction, which is lighter and more durable than carbon fiber. The material in question is in fact not new at all, invented in 2004 by the two Russian-British physicists at the University of Manchester. It’s called a graphene.

Nowadays, despite the absolutely unique and universal properties of graphene, this material is rarely used. The reason is that it is too expensive to produce. Recently, however, Ford’s experts have come to the conclusion that graphene in small quantities can reduce the cost of producing cars. Ford is likely to become the first automotive company to start using graphene in mass production to make vehicles lighter, healthier and more fuel efficient.

Graphene is extremely lightweight and strong material. It is about 200 times stronger than steel and 20 times stronger than carbon. It is also incredibly plastic, elastic, which makes it easier for any shaping and has a high electrical conductivity. However, the cost of graphene exceeds several times that of steel and carbon fiber.

That’s why Ford, of course, will not use it for the whole body of the car, but it will implement a small portions of graphene in the production of about 10 small-sized but heavy parts of the engine and the construction of the vehicles. The company calculations show that even a very small amount of graphene will allow for significant improvements: the durability of the parts – by 20%, the improvement of the sound insulation – 17%, and reducing the weight of the car by 30%.

The first models of the company, in which will be used graphene, will be Ford Mustang and Ford F-150.