Automation-Driven Composites: Pioneering the Next Generation of Lightweight and Sustainable Electric Vehicles

Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | Special Issue 01 | Page : 513 525
    By

    Sunil Kumar Gupta,

  • Pragyan Paramita Mohanty,

  • Govind Singh Patel,

  • Asit Mohanty,

  1. Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Poornima University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
  2. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla, Odisha, India
  3. Professor, Department of Automation and Robotics, Sharad Institute of Technology College of Engineering, Yadrav, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
  4. Professor, Centre for Promotion of Research, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Clement town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Electric vehicle (EV) market is undergoing a dynamic change due to the changes in regulations, increasing demands of consumers, and a swift development of material science. Composite materials were one of these innovations which have become the key facilitators of lightweight, efficient and safe EV designs, with immense strength to weight ratios, corrosion resistance, and design flexibility unmatched before. The paper will discuss the growing use of composite materials in EV production, mainly through three key automation technologies, namely, Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), filament winding, and Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) such as large-format continuous fiber 3D printing. These new fabrication methods have transformed the art of composite manufacturing because these processes enable the creation of complex EV parts, including parts of the chassis, battery enclosures, and structural reinforcing, in precise amounts, at relatively low costs. How these technologies can lead to the democratization of high-performance manufacturing is highlighted in the discussion that also talks of the use of these technologies in ensuring that such composite-based design can be adopted by a wide range of the automotive industry, not just premium or niche applications. Moreover, the paper considers major issues, such as cost optimization, scalability of production, and end-of life recyclability that are still important to integrate in the mass-market manufacturing of EVs with composites. To sum up, the paper emphasizes the fact that the future of sustainable and high performance electric mobility is being influenced by inventive composite technologies. Through their lightweight, energy-saving and green credentials, composites are setting the new levels of the contemporary car design- opening up the future of more environmentally-friendly, powerful and efficient electric cars.

Keywords: Lightweight Composites, Electric Vehicles, Public Transport, CFRP, GFRP, Sustainability, Mobility.

[This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Journal of Polymer & Composites (jopc)]

How to cite this article:
Sunil Kumar Gupta, Pragyan Paramita Mohanty, Govind Singh Patel, Asit Mohanty. Automation-Driven Composites: Pioneering the Next Generation of Lightweight and Sustainable Electric Vehicles. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(01):513-525.
How to cite this URL:
Sunil Kumar Gupta, Pragyan Paramita Mohanty, Govind Singh Patel, Asit Mohanty. Automation-Driven Composites: Pioneering the Next Generation of Lightweight and Sustainable Electric Vehicles. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(01):513-525. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=237030


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Special Issue Subscription Review Article
Volume 14
Special Issue 01
Received 07/11/2025
Accepted 11/12/2025
Published 18/02/2026
Publication Time 103 Days
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