19 MAY 2011www.goauto.com.au
Holden to dress Commodore in aluminium
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
1 min read
HOLDEN will become the first Australian car manufacturer to employ mass-produced aluminium body panels – most likely the bonnet and boot – to snip the fuel consumption of its next-generation VF Commodore due in 2014.
The “light-weighting” exercise, plus a switch to electric-powered steering and new efforts to improve the aerodynamics of the top-selling Australian car, are expected to cut Commodore’s thirst by about seven per cent at the cost of at least $160 million.
A quarter of that bill – $39.8 million – will be paid by the federal government from its now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund, which was killed off early this year – a victim of spending cuts in the wake of the Queensland floods.
GM Holden applied for the grant before Canberra brought down the boom on the fund, becoming one of several companies to have applications honoured by federal innovation and industry minister Senator Kim Carr.
The “light-weighting” exercise, plus a switch to electric-powered steering and new efforts to improve the aerodynamics of the top-selling Australian car, are expected to cut Commodore’s thirst by about seven per cent at the cost of at least $160 million.
A quarter of that bill – $39.8 million – will be paid by the federal government from its now defunct Green Car Innovation Fund, which was killed off early this year – a victim of spending cuts in the wake of the Queensland floods.
GM Holden applied for the grant before Canberra brought down the boom on the fund, becoming one of several companies to have applications honoured by federal innovation and industry minister Senator Kim Carr.
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