BAC Mono features lighter than carbon fibre graphene panels

bac mono carbon top

What’s even stronger and lighter than carbon fibre? Graphene composite. And British sports car maker, BAC, is the first company to utilitse the material in their single-seater Mono.

According to BAC, graphene is created out of sheets of carbon just one atom thick and is significantly stronger and lighter than standard carbon fibre. It estimates the use of graphene can bring a 20 percent weight reduction while being 200 times stronger than steel.

bac mono graphene composite wheelarch

The novel material will initially be confined to the Mono’s rear wheel arches, where it is applied with the help of Haydale Composite Solutions.

Ebby Shahidi, Director of Aerospace and Defence at Haydale Composite Solutions says: “These initial materials have shown some major increases in impact and thermal performance coupled with improved surface finish and it’s pleasing to see these attributes being demonstrated on such a high performance vehicle as the Mono.”

bac mono carbon rear

BAC says it wanted to test the material on the rear wheel arches first due to the size and complexity of the panel. It also allows the company to test the manufacturing process and see how the materials fit with the rest of the car.