Automotive
use of aluminum continues to rise as North American automakers look for proven
technology to reduce curb weight.
A new study
by Ducker Worldwide, commissioned by The Aluminum Association, reports the
percentage of aluminum in cars averages 8.6 percent, an all-time high. That's
up from just 2 percent in 1970 and 5.1 percent in 1990. The use of aluminum in
cars and light trucks is projected to be nearly 11 percent of curb weight by
2020.
Globally,
the amount of aluminum content for light vehicles is 7.8 percent of the average
worldwide light vehicle curb weight of 3,185 lbs in 2009. According to the
study, growth in aluminum content is predicted to continue at a rate of four-to-five lbs per vehicle per year and approach 300 lbs per vehicle worldwide in
2020.
"As
automakers seek to innovate and differentiate themselves with more fuel-efficient cars and trucks with a reduced carbon footprint, the time to use
advanced materials like aluminum is now," says Buddy Stemple, chairman of the
Aluminum Association's Auto & Light Truck Group.
More than
50 vehicles produced in North America contain
over 10 percent aluminum content.
Vehicles
manufactured by Honda and BMW average more than 340 lbs of aluminum per
vehicle. General Motors, Honda, Toyota,
BMW, Hyundai and Volkswagen all increased the amount of aluminum content of
their North American vehicles from 2006 to 2009.
Much of the
gain is coming in engine blocks and steering knuckles with penetration of
aluminum blocks reaching nearly 70 percent. More than 22 percent of vehicles
currently made in the U.S.
have aluminum hoods, an all-time record.
"We're
seeing continued growth of automotive aluminum because of the relevant
advantages it offers, such as improved fuel economy and vehicle safety," says
Stemple. "In fact, hybrid and diesel vehicles when paired with aluminum can
actually pay consumers back faster than if those vehicles were made of heavier
steel."
Material
experts and body engineers surveyed in this study expect 25 percent of fuel
economy improvement to come from weight savings, while powertrain experts
predict 50 percent of the improvements will be the result of weight
reduction.
Other
options, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics, are still on the drawing
boards for parts on expensive cars, such as certain Corvette models, but remain
too pricey for most vehicles.
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