Aluminum Offers A Simple Solution
Automakers are increasingly turning to automotive aluminum in their efforts to produce lighter, fuel efficient vehicles without compromising performance or safety. Consider:- Vehicles made lighter with aluminum, including hybrids and clean diesels, require less engine power and fuel, making them more affordable without the loss of performance capabilities
- Plug-in electrics also benefit from upgrading traditional steel to an advanced aluminum body structure, saving up to $3,000 per vehicle as stored energy requirements would be cut by about 10 percent
- Aluminum absorbs – pound for pound – two times the energy in a crash compared to steel
- Automotive aluminum is infinitely recyclable and uses only 5 percent of the original energy required to put it back into a reusable form
- Lighter cars accelerate faster and stop shorter
Aluminum Use Continues to Rise
Aluminum represents 7.8 percent of vehicle curb weight internationally in today’s family cars, trucks and minivans. This increased use is due to the many cost and fuel economy benefits that lightweight aluminum offers. Additionally, use of aluminum applications in commercial vehicles steadily continues to rise with more than 65 percent of the tractor-trailer market adopting aluminum wheels today compared to 60 years ago. Overall, the amount of aluminum in vehicles is not only increasing, but also spreading across market segments and application types.
The Environmental Advantage
Across the globe the transportation sector is racing to revolutionize passenger and commercial vehicles with an eye towards improved performance. Whether it be faster acceleration or better cargo capacity, the challenge is to achieve these goals while reducing every vehicle's "footprint" on the earth. Aluminum offers a simple solution. Lightweighting with aluminum allows vehicles to have increased fuel efficiency and produce fewer tailpipe emissions linked to climate change because they require less power to get around making them the ultimate green vehicle.
Aluminum News 
- Automotive Aluminum Applications May 3, 2012
- Auto Aluminum Reaches New Heights with Growth Expected to Continue in U.S. and Abroad, Aluminum Association Tells AMM Conference May 2, 2012
- Auto Aluminum Exec Details Drivers Fueling the Metal’s Record Growth April 25, 2012
- High CAFE standards driving material changes in vehicle design April 25, 2012
NEW: Survey of Automakers
On the Record
"I believe in 2015 and 2020, we will be more aluminum-intensive. It may not be 100%, but it could be more than 50%. That would be a huge jump: right now, about 8% of a car's weight comes from aluminum and 57% from steel.”
Matthew Zaluzec, Manager, Global Materials and Manufacturing Research, Ford Motor Company