A comprehensive review on advanced materials and testing techniques for passenger vehicle frames

The automotive industry is undergoing a transformative shift toward sustainability, energy efficiency, and enhanced safety, driven by innovations in vehicle frame materials and testing techniques. This review explores the transition from conventional mild steel to advanced lightweight materials such as aluminium and magnesium alloys, carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs), and multi-material hybrid structures, which offer superior strength-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, and crashworthiness. These materials meet the structural requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles while also making a substantial contribution to fuel economy and emission reductions. However, high production costs, recyclability challenges, and large-scale manufacturing limitations remain major barriers. Additionally, the paper emphasizes developments in computational tools that improve crash performance and expedite design processes, such as AI-driven multi-objective optimization, topology optimization, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Compliance with safety standards is ensured by contemporary testing techniques, such as real-time sensor integration and virtual crash simulations. The integration of smart materials and the concepts of the circular economy, cost-effective manufacturing, and sustainable material solutions are the main areas of future research. These developments are essential as the market shifts to electric and driverless mobility, meeting consumer demands for strong, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly automobiles as well as international regulatory requirements. In addition, this review provides a critical guideline framework for future material research by linking candidate materials with application-specific requirements, trade-offs, validation methods, manufacturing constraints, recyclability, and life-cycle sustainability.