Sapa keen to support heavy-truck segment with more aluminium solutions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty trucks, requiring that fleet fuel economy rise to 24 percent by 2027. Sapa is a key supplier of aluminium solutions to the truck segment.

The U.S. Aluminum Association points out that mass reduction using the light metal has emerged as a proven and cost-effective technology for achieving improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions performance in both light and heavy-duty vehicles.

In heavy-duty vehicles, the weight and emission benefits that result from using aluminium are significant. Ricardo Consulting Engineers has conducted research showing that Class 8 commercial tractor trailers can improve fuel economy by as much as 5.5 percent for every 10 percent reduction in weight.

The EPA’s proposed new regulations will first enter a public comment period prior to the release of a final version, which is expected to come in 2016.

Last year, Class 8 truck manufacturers delivered 220,405 units in the United States, according to auto industry expert WardsAuto. This was the fourth-largest annual figure ever. Furthermore, OEMs sold 406,747 Class 4-8 medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks in 2014, the highest total since 2006.

The leading OEMs in the U.S. Class 8 truck market, by market share, are Daimler, PACCAR, Volvo and Navistar.

Sapa delivers aluminium solutions for heavy trucks from eight different plants in the U.S. Most of the content Sapa delivers is cab-related, with some content on the chassis and interior as well.

“Light-weighting in this segment is growing and it is poised to gain even more traction due to regulatory pressure,” says Sapa’s JD Rutt (pictured), who chairs the Aluminum Association’s Heavy Truck Working Group. The working group has been organized to promote aluminium as a lightweight material of choice in the heavy truck market.

Rutt is director of business development for Sapa’s Extrusion Americas business area.