Oct. 10, 2018—Demand for automotive aluminum is expected to more than double by 2025, largely driven by surging growth in Asia, an executive at Novelis Inc.. told Reuters recently. Novelis is the world’s largest maker of rolled aluminum products.
Automakers, of course, are turning to aluminum to replace high-strength steel, as well as to combine with materials such as carbon fiber and plastics to produce lighter body panels for use in electric vehicles that meet stricter environmental standards.
“Typically what we see is an increase of aluminum percentage of the [automotive] body, which is why we’re projecting to grow from 1.5 million tons of aluminum demand this year to 3.5 million tons a year in 2025,” said Pierre Labat, vice president of global automotive at Novelis, in an interview with Reuters.
The Atlanta-based company supplies aluminum to automakers such as Jaguar Land Rover and Ford. Labat added that aluminum has been increasingly used in automotive bodies such as doors, but would not replace steel completely.
