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Research says aluminum helps reduce 40% vehicle body mass
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
The results of an intensive research study were released last month at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress. The study was commissioned by the Aluminum in Transportation Group of the U.S. Aluminum Association and completed by EDAG Group. Results of the study explain why car and truck manufacturers are relying more on aluminum and less on steel in the design and production of their vehicles.
The study proved that vehicles manufactured from all aluminum components could shed over forty percent of the vehicles body mass. This creates an eighteen percent fuel reduction when combined with design changes and secondary mass savings. With increasing demand for fuelefficient vehicles, the study confirms the assertion that aluminum-concentrated vehicles will become more widespread in the marketplace.
It is projected by experts in the industry that automotive aluminum utilization will double its 2008 levels by the year 2025. “This study reinforces that aluminum is the material of choice to reduce body mass and boost fuel economy which consumers list as their primary concern when buying a new car or truck while providing the safety, performance and durability that consumers also demand.” said Randall Scheps, automotive marketing director for Alcoa, Inc. who is also chairperson of The Aluminum Association’s Transportation Group (ATG).
The EDAG study furthered the research conducted last year for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The original research examined cost variables, safety and mass reduction in a Toyota Venza. The EPA’s goal was to reduce vehicle mass by twenty percent while maintaining performance and meeting all safety standards. The EDAG study achieves almost three times the body mass reduction over the EPA study, while meeting the same requirements for performance and safety.
The study proved that vehicles manufactured from all aluminum components could shed over forty percent of the vehicles body mass. This creates an eighteen percent fuel reduction when combined with design changes and secondary mass savings. With increasing demand for fuelefficient vehicles, the study confirms the assertion that aluminum-concentrated vehicles will become more widespread in the marketplace.
It is projected by experts in the industry that automotive aluminum utilization will double its 2008 levels by the year 2025. “This study reinforces that aluminum is the material of choice to reduce body mass and boost fuel economy which consumers list as their primary concern when buying a new car or truck while providing the safety, performance and durability that consumers also demand.” said Randall Scheps, automotive marketing director for Alcoa, Inc. who is also chairperson of The Aluminum Association’s Transportation Group (ATG).
The EDAG study furthered the research conducted last year for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The original research examined cost variables, safety and mass reduction in a Toyota Venza. The EPA’s goal was to reduce vehicle mass by twenty percent while maintaining performance and meeting all safety standards. The EDAG study achieves almost three times the body mass reduction over the EPA study, while meeting the same requirements for performance and safety.
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