Dec 4 2007
Novelis Inc. has been selected by General Motors to supply aluminum sheet for the hoods and liftgates of the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Novelis is the world's leading supplier of high-performance aluminum sheet for use in automotive applications.
The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, the world's only full-size hybrid SUVs, will use two-mode hybrid powertrain technology to deliver a 25 percent composite (city and highway mpg) fuel economy improvement, when combined with GM's Active Fuel Management.
The Tahoe Hybrid was named 2008 Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal at last month's Los Angeles Auto Show.
The body of the hybrid vehicles is approximately 400 pounds lighter than a standard model, achieved in part through significant application of aluminum. The use of aluminum helped GM to offset the weight of the hybrid drive, battery pack and related hybrid hardware.
"These are the first aluminum sheet applications for Novelis on hybrid technology vehicles,” said Pat McNulty, Automotive Director for Novelis North America. “We expect aluminum's ability to reduce vehicle mass and offset the weight of alternative powertrain systems will make its use increasingly attractive to automakers.”
Novelis has been supplying aluminum sheet to GM for over a decade for use on a wide range of vehicles including the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Cadillac CTS and Buick Lucerne models. The company supplies automotive sheet from its North American manufacturing system which includes plants in Oswego, N.Y., and Kingston, Ontario.