EV Liftgate Innovation Drives Growing Demand for Long-Fiber Thermoplastic Polypropylene (LFT PP)

A recent AMI Consulting report confirms that market penetration of long‑fiber thermoplastic polypropylene (LFT PP) is accelerating, projecting robust growth through 2025. The report, Long Fiber Polypropylene Compounds—The Global Market 2021, assists industry participants in anticipating change, formulating strategies, directing R&D investment, and proactively managing threats and opportunities. It quantifies the use of both granule LFT PP (LFT‑G) and direct in‑line compounding LFT PP (LFT‑D), tracking their use worldwide. The result is a comprehensive analysis of LFT PP by application, OEM, producer, and geographical region. The key metric is kg/vehicle, which allows the disaggregation of volatile car production numbers from underlying usage trends.

LFT PP is widely deployed in automotive front‑end carriers, instrument‑panel carriers, door panels, consoles, pedals, under‑body shields, and more. Its key advantage is steel substitution, cutting weight and replacing costlier engineering plastics. Adoption rates vary by application and OEM.

Stellantis, formerly Fiat‑Chrysler, has emerged as one of the fastest growing adopters since the 2017 edition, leveraging its integrated engineering and materials expertise.

Liftgate designs have seen rapid expansion, ranging from traditional metal construction to near‑metal‑free configurations. In metal‑free liftgates, LFT PP delivers structural strength while high‑performance PP supplies a paintable exterior. In the most demanding builds, the structural LFT PP components remain unpainted, showcasing their excellent aesthetic finish. Plastic liftgates are especially attractive for electric vehicles, where weight reduction is paramount.

The transition to electric and hybrid vehicles presents both challenges and opportunities for LFT PP. While some legacy applications may wane, designers are reimagining concepts—e.g., Tesla’s front trunk (“frunk”)—which requires impact‑resistant design. LFT PP’s mechanical properties make it an ideal candidate for such applications.

The report also evaluates LFT PP’s performance against competing materials and examines how leading manufacturers—Celanese (Celstran), GS Caltex, Kingfa, Lotte (Sambark), Mytex/Mitsubishi/JPP, and SABIC—are positioning their LFT PP offerings.