Oct 4 2010
In response to the Obama Administration’s proposed automotive fuel economy and emissions regulations being announced today, the following statement was issued by Randall Scheps, Chairman of The Aluminum Association, Inc.’s Aluminum Transportation Group.
“When it comes to shaking up the status quo on automotive fuel economy and emissions, aluminum can be a game changer. Weight is the enemy of efficiency and that’s why vehicle weight – not vehicle size – must be reduced significantly in concert with engine technology and other advances to meet the tough new fuel economy and emissions regulations proposed today.
It’s simple physics, heavier vehicles need more energy to operate, and high strength, low weight aluminum is proven to safely reduce vehicle weight to boost fuel economy, while having the lowest overall carbon footprint amongst competing materials. In fact, a 15 percent weight reduction made possible with aluminum equates to a 10 percent fuel economy gain with no compromise on size, safety or performance.
Even before today’s regulatory proposal was announced, automakers have been accelerating the trend away from vehicles made only of traditional steel, with increased emphasis on a multi-material approach to vehicle design. Aluminum offers the greatest promise to safely reduce the most weight with the least carbon emissions overall, which is why use of the advanced, highly crash absorbent metal rose to an all time high in the auto industry last year. In terms of potential weight savings for next-generation vehicles, a recent University of Aachen study from Germany concludes that using aluminum in key automotive components can safely reduce future vehicle weight by as much as 40 percent, as compared to only 11 percent potential for high strength steel.
As more hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles come online, greater aluminum use can help lower their overall cost to consumers since lighter vehicles will need fewer of the heavy, expensive batteries. In terms of total carbon emissions, independent analysis from the magnesium industry confirms that aluminum – not steel – has the smallest carbon footprint of competing materials when considering the full lifecycle of production, manufacturing, on-the-road use and end-of-life recycling phases.
Just this month it was reported that Nissan will use aluminum and other non-traditional materials to cut the weight of newly designed vehicles by 15 percent, compared to the earlier models being replaced, specifically to meet higher fuel economy requirements. As another example, the newly redesigned Ford Explorer makes strategic use of aluminum to cut vehicle weight and, in part, help it get 20 percent better fuel economy over the outgoing model.
With nearly 40 years of uninterrupted growth, use of automotive aluminum in North America is estimated at nearly 9 percent of vehicle curb weight in 2010 – an all-time high. For the next generation of cleaner, safer, higher performing vehicles, aluminum will continue to be a growing part of the solution.”