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The Center for Clean Products has conducted a life-cycle assessment involving a comparison of exterior body closure panels made of different lightweight materials (aluminum, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer [CFRP] and glass fiber-reinforced polymer [GFRP]), to steel closure panels weighing 220 lbs as the baseline. In an additional, more forward-looking assessment, a monocoque body made of a carbon fiber-based composite was assumed to replace a conventional steel body, resulting in a substantial weight reduction (more than 60%). The primary results reveal that CFRP appears to be the least environmentally burdensome material in 9 of the 14 impact categories evaluated. This is mainly due to the fact that CFRP has the maximum weight reduction potential of all the materials evaluated (about 60% over steel), resulting in a much smaller quantity of material needed.