General conclusion

Despite its critics, the automobile remains an essential industrial object in our civilization. As plastics became available, they were used in the automotive industry. For a long time, tire rubber was the only polymer-based material used in automobiles. The mass of other polymer materials gradually increased from a few grams to 150 kg per vehicle. All areas of the vehicle have been invested to a greater or lesser extent, especially the interior. However, the forecasts made in the 1980s for the massive development of plastic bodies have not materialized. On the one hand, the problems of mastering the behavior and industrialization of composites have not all been resolved, and on the other, steel and aluminum manufacturers have been able to improve the products available on the market.

When comparing properties, plastics are often favorably ranked. But good properties...