Recent Advances in High-Performance Bioinspired Sustainable Materials for Automotive Applications

Electrified mobility regulations and lifecycle emissions targets have increased the demand for lightweight structural materials in vehicle architectures. Bioinspired composite materials offer microstructural configurations that alter conventional trade-offs among specific stiffness, crash energy absorption, and manufacturing energy requirements. This review evaluates the translation of biological structural archetypes including nacre, bamboo, cortical bone, and lotus leaves into load-bearing and functional automotive components. Quantitative benchmarks of continuous natural-fiber laminates, bio-cellular lattices, and mycelium-based acoustic cores are compared against high-strength steel and aluminum alloys. Key mechanical and functional metrics, including specific energy absorption (ranging from 35 to 48 kJ kg−1 for bioinspired crash structures), dynamic loss factors, and Cassie-Baxter superhydrophobic surface stability, are evaluated alongside high-throughput manufacturing routes such as high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) and additive manufacturing. Methodological parameters for ISO 14040/14044-compliant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are synthesized, emphasizing component-level functional units over gravimetric mass equivalence. Furthermore, operational boundaries, specifically hygrothermal interfacial degradation, matrix glass transitions (Tg < 120 °C), and multi-axial loading sensitivity, are systematically outlined to define design limits for automotive deployment.