When designing a vehicle, project teams make tens of thousands of choices. From body panels, chassis and propulsions system all the way down to the last set screw. As the fastest growing automotive material, aluminum is an integral part of current and future designs, from those powered by an internal combustion engine to battery electric vehicles.
Sustainability and Efficiency
Reducing mass with aluminum increases vehicle fuel economy and battery range, and ever improving primary production and secondary recovery processes mean the aluminum advantage will continue to better serve consumers and the environment.
Safety
Aluminum not only improves braking and handling in vehicles, but also helps maintain or increase size and absorption capacity of a vehicle’s crumple zone. In the event of a crash the low weight, high strength metal absorbs 2X the crash energy of steel.
Performance
All factors equal, cars designed with aluminum accelerate quicker, brake in shorter distances and handle corners better than their heavier, less-efficient counterparts. The rigidity of aluminum improves NVH characteristics, giving drivers a better feel for the road and delivering better stability and response.
Value
Aluminum can be a catalyst for cost savings throughout a vehicle. This is true for internal combustion engine and powertrain systems and it’s true for battery electric vehicles, reducing weight to improve efficiency and performance while enabling improved safety.
Recent Research
Data drives us. Read the Aluminum Transportation Group’s latest research.