Compared to traditional materials, composite materials offer numerous advantages such as higher specific strength, lighter weight, higher modulus of elasticity, better fatigue resistance, and excellent vibration damping properties. The various components of composite materials work synergistically, providing superior comprehensive performance that cannot be matched by a single material. Consequently, in the automotive industry, composites are widely used in the design and manufacturing of components such as body panels, lamp housing covers, front and rear guards, bumpers, leaf springs, seat frames, and drive shafts.

In composite material design for the automotive industry, three principles should be considered: 1) high specific strength and high specific stiffness; 2) compatibility with the environment; 3) cost-performance ratio. Additionally, some experience methods can be applied in body design, such as using carbon fiber composite materials in high-stress areas; employing plywood composite materials in areas requiring high toughness and stiffness; and using laminates in complex geometric shapes.

Composite materials meet the requirements for body lightweighting, reducing fuel consumption. Traditional automotive body materials are in a single state dominated by thin steel plates, unable to accommodate the pursuit of high speed and lightweighting. To lighten the weight, improve the drag coefficient, and decrease fuel consumption, many automakers actively research and utilize new materials to meet these requirements. Reducing the vehicle's weight by 50kg allows for a 2Km increase in the distance that can be traveled per liter of fuel; reducing the weight by 10% can improve fuel economy by approximately 5.5%. Many types of composite materials have found their stage to showcase their talents in the process of body lightweighting and have excelled in the vehicle lightweighting process. The purpose of vehicle lightweighting is to save energy and reduce emission pollution. Simultaneously, environmental protection has become an indispensable condition for sustainable development strategies, and the development trend of composite materials is moving towards extended use life and recyclability.