Case Studies

China Bus Project
The application of aluminum in commercial vehicles was tested in a demo bus developed for Asian markets. Partnering with one of the world’s largest bus OEMs, an aluminum body frame with forged aluminum wheels and aluminum fasteners was developed for the bus.

During the 12,000 km on-road durability testing period, no performance or safety issues were detected. With the aluminum lightweighting modifications, the body of the bus was 46 percent lighter than a steel body, resulting in a 12 percent reduction of the total bus weight (1,400 kg). This weight reduction provided a 6 percent fuel economy improvement, equating to 5,000 gallons of fuel and 50 tons of CO₂ saved over the lifetime of the vehicle. In addition to the fuel savings and CO₂ reduction, the lighter vehicle demonstrated reduced road surface wear and tear as well as lower maintenance costs for tires, brakes and the suspension. Estimates conclude that these combined savings would equate to a payback on the initial investment of lightweighting with aluminum to be realized in the first 2-3 years of operating the vehicle.