No, Europe Isn’t Banning Carbon Fiber in Cars—Yet

The European Union won’t be banning carbon fiber in cars after all.

A day after rumors rocketed around the internet suggesting Europe was considering a ban on the lightweight material, a report on Tuesday clarified that claim, making clear that it would not be banned.

European Union regulators had included carbon fiber in a draft proposal earlier this year to make it a hazardous material, effectively banning it in the construction of new cars from 2029, according to Road & Track. The E.U. was concerned about what happens after cars are dismantled and the material is recycled, when, in the process, minuscule pieces of carbon fiber could be released into the air. Those pieces could then find their way into human tissue and be a health hazard.

That would’ve put carbon fiber in same class as materials such as mercury and lead. It would also have represented a seismic change in the way automakers build new cars, especially luxury cars and supercars. Carbon fiber has become a preferred material for many automakers in the luxury segment because of its strength relative to its light weight. Carbon fiber was first used in racing applications over four decades ago, and in 1981 McLaren made the first carbon-fiber Formula 1 car.

Over the years, carbon fiber filtered down into road-going cars and in the past couple of decades has become so common that it is shorthand for the raciest car designs. It’s often used for aesthetic reasons as well, given its distinctive look.

A ban in Europe on carbon fiber would likely affect all aspects of the design of many cars from the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, and every other manufacturer that sells cars in Europe since reducing or adding weight in one part of the car means upsetting the balance in another. Car stylists would also have to consider what it means to no longer have carbon fiber at their disposal to communicate speed ambitions and class.

The draft proposal reported on Monday was just that, a draft, and Motor1 Italia reported on Tuesday that the ban was no longer on the table, at least for now. “A representative for the Parliament confirmed that [hazardous materials list] has since been updated, with carbon fiber now absent,” Motor1 said.

Still, that a ban was on the table at one point should probably be a warning to the industry that it could happen in the future, with automakers likely heavily involved in ongoing discussions with regulators about it across the pond. Automotive marques and their racing teams are nothing if not innovators when it comes to materials strength and reducing weight, and if carbon fiber ever goes away we’ll see just how creative they can be. Just not yet.