Meeting the U.S. Department of Transportation's proposed fuel economy standards may be difficult for automakers, but the Aluminum Association's Auto and Light Truck Group says it can help. According to Buddy Stemple, the association's chair, powertrain advances alone won't get the job done. Instead, reducing vehicle weight is key, and aluminum may just be part of the solution. "The status quo in the industry is dead and the days of heavy, standard gasoline-burning vehicles are numbered. Automakers are moving quickly on hybrids, clean diesels, ethanol and even fuel cells — and reducing vehicle weight with high strength, low weight materials like aluminum is vital to making each of those options even more efficient," Stemple says. "'Smart weighting' with aluminum is proven to reduce a vehicle's weight to boost fuel economy and cut emissions, while making it larger for safety and comfort. Consumer will win when lighter, safer — and sometimes even larger — cars drive further on a gallon of gas while emitting less from the tailpipe." Studies show aluminum can help pay for itself in terms of efficiencies gained. And, according to Stemple, reducing vehicle weight is a safe, proven way to boost fuel economy and cut tailpipe emissions. In addition, leading automakers have recently stated that they need to revisit lightweighting options in order to improve fuel economy. And, cutting weight with aluminum can make hybrids and clean diesels even more efficient — reducing the payback period for customers. Currently, a range of new concept cars from Jeep to Mitsubishi feature all-aluminum frames and body panels. "Smart weighting" with aluminum lets automakers reduce weight for better fuel economy and reduced emissions, while actually making the car bigger for safety and comfort; Jaguar XJ is an on-the-road example of smart weighting. In addition, new alloys and advanced processing technologies make aluminum easier to use in high volume applications than ever before. For more information about this topic, visit the Aluminum Association's Web site. |
