Aluminum is synonymous with economy in Electric cars

Aluminum structures are expensive and reserved for luxury cars. But in the case of electric cars, this overhead can lead to savings expenses.

The equation is as follows: on an electric car, the battery is a very expensive and reducing vehicle weight, it is possible to use a smaller battery, and therefore less expensive. If the technology implemented in the relief is affordable, the price of the car will therefore decrease.

According to a study commissioned by several associations of aluminum, European and international (EAA, FKA and IAI), the use of this material could well lead to savings despite rising its market price. The result is not spectacular, it amounts to 635 euros for a vehicle type segment Volkswagen Golf.

A vehicle control, the use of aluminum has eased the car to 162 kg while maintaining the same level of security. Maintaining the same range (200 km), the battery capacity has been reduced by 3.3 kWh.

For its calculation cost, the study is based on a mass industrialization of the car, produced 100,000 units per year. Represents the additional aluminum and 1015 euros. Battery side, based on current forecasts in 2015, the economy would be 1650 euros. The report stresses that the production of aluminum causes less CO2 emissions than steel.

One can simply qualify this by integrating the issue of autonomy that is, with the high price, another weak point of the electric car. By reducing the weight of electric cars, automakers, they would not be tempted to improve their autonomy rather than reduce the final cost at all costs? In the case of the upcoming BMW i3 , using a lightweight construction made ??of aluminum and carbon fiber, the arbitration leaning towards more autonomy and power. But in the case of urban electric where the issue of autonomy is less crucial equation merchants aluminum may be more relevant.