General Motors is developing carbon fiber beds for the premium trims on its pickup trucks as the high-end haulers continue to move upmarket, according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal. The lightweight beds could reportedly be ready in two years on the next generation of Chevrolet and GMC trucks.
The use of carbon fiber, which is stronger and much lighter than steel or aluminum, would take a material that's usually reserved for higher-end exotic cars and apply it to the most workaday of vehicles in a massive way. Pickup trucks sales make up about 15 percent of the overall automotive market in this country, and even though the company reportedly plans to save the carbon fiber bed option for its high-end trim levels, it would still be the largest use of the expensive material by a major American automaker to date—by far. General Motors sells around 800,000 full-size trucks a year.
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