March 14, 2013—Nissan Motor Co. will expand the use of advanced high-tensile-strength steel in up to 25 percent of the vehicle parts installed in its new production models.
Starting in 2017, Nissan will use the advanced high-tensile-strength steel as one of its initiatives to help reduce vehicle weight.
Nissan developed 1.2 gigapascal (GPa) ultra high-tensile-strength steel to provide greater elongation, strength and high formability in the making of lighter-weight steel sheets.
The steel can also be used for parts with complex shapes, which had been difficult to manufacture using established high tensile sheets.
Nissan said using the 1.2 GPa high tensile strength steel leads to the use of fewer materials per vehicle produced, resulting in a reduction in total cost per unit.
Under the Nissan Green Program, the company is aiming for a 35 percent improvement in fuel economy for all Nissan vehicles by the end of 2016.
