Toyota Boasts About Castings

Taken from http://www.moderncasting.com/

Before the big game this past weekend, we saw some castings while watching the NFL during championship week. (Are we getting paid for this overtime?) The castings weren’t on the field of play, of course (although the Steelers defense often looks like it’s composed of engineered metal components). Instead, they took center stage in an advertisement for the Toyota Tundra.
In the 30-second spot, Toyota highlights the Tundra’s power train. On the right side of an oversized balance is a “cast iron V-8 block [that] makes your truck weigh more,” and on the left is an “aluminum [block] that lets you tow more.”

The announcer doesn’t say so, but of course the block on the left is also cast. According to marketing representative Erin Poole, the part is in fact made by Toyota-owned metalcasting facility Bodine Aluminum. Regardless of the use of the word “cast” with the iron block but not the aluminum one, both of the parts are intended in the commercial to look like mean components that make up a mean machine. And the engineered, cohesive look of the castings helps pull that intention off.

Remember, this is the line of trucks that have been featured in some of the more over-the-top truck advertisements ever produced. Namely, the ones showing the Tundra pulling off death defying feats with relative ease—bringing a 10,000-lb. trailer quickly to a stop down a steep grade, stopping at the edge of a gorge after barreling through a tight gate, etc. The company also went all out to show just how tough the Tundra is during this year’s Super Bowl. So the castings used in the more subtle campaign have big shoes to fill.

And according to Poole, castings haven’t made their last appearance in the Tundra commercials. The truck also features a cast steel brake rotor that will make an appearance in the campaign sometime in the near future. Keep yours eyes out for it, and tell your boss you did some industry research while watching TV.

New aluminum selected for Ferrari S.p.A.

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products, Cleveland, Ohio, announces that it has been selected by Ferrari S.p.A. to supply the all-aluminum spaceframe for the upcoming Ferrari California sports car. The strength and lightweight advantages of aluminum allow Ferrari to maximize performance, strength, and structural rigidity. Learn more.

Top 13 most Fuel-Efficient Cars

Smart for Two Convertible

3 cylinder, 1 liter, Automatic(S5), Premium
MPG City: 33 MPG Highway: 41
Estimated Annual Fuel Cost: $1,555





More? follow this link ...

http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/02/efficient-gas-cars-forbeslife-cx_ae_0502fuelefficient.html

Forbes Explores the Aluminum Advantage in Automotive Applications

By using aluminum in lieu of heavy steel--the traditional metal used to build a
car's body--manufacturers can reduce a vehicle's weight by as much as 45%, says
Zaluzec.

A recent Forbes article looks at aluminum's use in automotive applications and notes that by utilizing aluminum instead of steel a vehicle's weight can be significantly reduced. Low weight vehicles burn less fuel and produce fewer tailpipe emissions-both great environmental advantages. The article also highlights the importance of a multi-material solution, saying collectively aluminum and other low weight materials can help vehicles achieve an additional 20-30 miles per gallon.

Presidential Candidates Promote Fuel Economy

Presidential Candidates Promote Fuel Economy Despite differences, Senators Obama and McCain both promote their interest in helping move the automotive industry to achieve a more fuel-efficient future. Key themes have emerged, including offering consumers and manufacturer’s incentives for improved fuel economy, reducing dependence on foreign oil, investing in advanced technology development and utilizing lightweight materials in design and manufacturing. The aluminum industry applauds these efforts to achieve more environmentally-friendly vehicles.

From: Aluminum Association

Why Aluminum May Glow Like Gold

by William Pentland 06.03.08, 2:05 PM ET

Since gold, grain and oil prices soared to previously unfathomable heights, everyone wants to know what's next. The answer may be aluminum.

Last Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended an obscure clean water regulation that restricted use of aluminum in automobiles because of a potentially harmful byproduct created in the manufacturing process.

Car makers treat aluminum to increase protection from corrosion in multiple ways, but the cheapest is an adhesive bonding process that uses zinc phosphate. Since the early 1980s, the EPA has included waste created from zinc phosphate processing on its list of FO19 hazardous wastes, which requires expensive additional treatment. The process apparently creates high concentrations of potentially harmful water contaminants.

The restriction drove up the cost of aluminum car components by forcing car makers to implement expensive clean-up systems. As a result, last week's amendment will substantially reduce the cost of aluminum-based car components, which will likely accelerate the industry's plans to replace vast amounts of steel currently used in cars with aluminum.

Although the EPA began its formal review of the aluminum restriction in 2006, the agency's decision appeared earlier than expected, which industry insiders imagined would not appear until later this year or early next year. The timing could reflect the Bush administration's desire that all major regulatory changes be initiated by June 1 to make sure they are finalized before the next president takes office, as reported May 31 by The New York Times.

Despite an industry-wide consensus that aluminum prices would fall in 2008, the opposite has happened. Prices have climbed nearly 25% since January. Since April, banks, including Goldman Sachs (nyse: GS - news - people ), UBS (nyse: UBS - news - people ), Lehman Brothers (nyse: LEH - news - people ) and Citigroup (nyse: C - news - people ), have raised forecasts for aluminum. Alcoa's (nyse: AA - news - people ) stock price has also soared.

Several industry analysts have revised their forecasts for aluminum prices in recent months. On Friday, aluminum prices in the futures market exploded.

Congress' recent decision to raise fuel efficiency requirements has intensified the auto industry's interest in lightweight materials. Aluminum could reduce the weight of cars dramatically because it weighs roughly half as much as steel. Every 10% reduction in car weight results in a 6% to 8% decrease in gasoline consumption.

Although advanced materials like carbon fiber weigh less than aluminum and are several times stronger than steel, they would require substantial upgrades of extant manufacturing facilities to implement. However, aluminum is compatible with current large-volume manufacturing facilities and body shops that would be expensive to overhaul.

"If you can stamp it, you want to stick with steel or aluminum," Mark Verbrugge, director of General Motors' Materials and Processes Lab, told Design News magazine earlier this year. "If you want to accentuate styling, composites are a better bet. But for the mainstream, composites are having a tough time competing with existing technologies."
The aluminum industry has presented the agency's decision in terms of environmental benefits that it claims will accrue from the de-listing.

"Every pound of aluminum used in a car reduces CO2 emissions by 20 pounds over 100,000 miles," the aluminum industry claims in a lobbying document. "Fifteen million aluminum intensive vehicles containing 250 pounds of aluminum would: save 3.5 billion gallons of gasoline [and] reduce CO2 emissions by 37.5 million tons."

Yet any cuts in carbon emissions might be outweighed by the negative affect aluminum could have on water supplies. And from the looks of things, car makers have already begun using aluminum--extensively.

The 2008 Ford Focus will use high-strength aluminum to replace steel in front-brake calipers. The new aluminum brakes will weigh 7.5 pounds less than their steel predecessor. In addition, two-thirds of the new Ford Focus fleet will have aluminum wheels, which will weigh 22 pounds less than previous models.

Since 1997, the EPA has granted a dozen exemptions to the rule for specific auto manufacturing facilities across the U.S., which has considerably increased the use of aluminum in the automobile industry. Last week's decision could trump those increases by an order of magnitude.
Ford has developed a prototype vehicle--the P2000--that replaces steel and cast iron in several key components as part of an effort to reduce the weight of a vehicle by 40%, which would create dramatic fuel efficiencies. Ford's prototype will increase the aluminum content by 256% over previous models, according to a report conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Transportation Analysis. Other car makers have also developed aluminum-based prototypes.

A separate study conducted by the Center for Transportation Analysis in 2001 evaluated the environmental impact likely to result from the increased use of aluminum in automobiles. The analysis did not address water contamination, which at the time would have been avoided, since the EPA rule remained in force. Instead, the study expressed a primary concern with aluminum's environmental impact during its extraction process: "The largest single contributor to the total waste of [light weight materials being considered for cars] is aluminum, the extraction of which produces large volumes of mineral waste."

The study also noted that while the increase in aluminum use would have the most severe affects in Washington, New York, Oregon, West Virginia and Ohio, "Every region in the United States could potentially experience some change in environmental impact with the introduction of new automotive materials."

Source: Forbes.com

New Process to Increase Efficiency of Aluminum Recycling

A new recycling process using advanced lasers to improve automotive scrap sorting can help bring even more environmentally friendly cars and trucks to market, according to an announcement today by the auto and aluminum industries, made through their Auto Aluminum Alliance, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy.

By employing lasers to identify and recover metals from scrapped vehicles, researchers have demonstrated the ability to separate cast from wrought alloys, as well as the ability to separate wrought alloys from each other at commercially viable rates.

The announcement is a potential boon to automakers and suppliers since this advanced recycling process promises to improve economic efficiency by recovering greater quantities of high-value, high-strength, high-performance aluminum from scrapped motor vehicles. Ultimately, this will allow greater use of either recycled or primary automotive aluminum -- which weigh significantly less than steel -- and will help produce even more environmentally friendly autos since lighter vehicles get higher gas mileage and emit fewer emissions.

For the 2001 model year, aluminum passed plastics and became the third most-used material in cars and trucks. Nearly 90% of automotive aluminum today is recovered and recycled. While this aluminum represents less than 10% of the average motor vehicle by weight, it already accounts for roughly half of the vehicle's value as scrap.

``Each year, automakers are using greater amounts of aluminum to help boost fuel economy and performance while maintaining safety. This advanced scrap sorting process will help ensure that automakers have a more affordable supply of recycled aluminum for the future. It also shows the great strides that can occur when the auto, the aluminum and the scrap industries work together to solve technical challenges,'' added Dr. Richard Klimisch, Vice President of The Aluminum Association.

This advanced method of separating scrap materials is being evaluated by a Belleville, Mich. metals processing firm, Huron Valley Steel Corporation. The Auto Aluminum Alliance is working with Huron Valley as part of a one-year agreement launched Aug. 24. Using a sophisticated technique called Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), the new process uses a laser to first clean the surface of the particle by laser ablation, and then it employs a laser pulse to hit the same spot on the particle as it moves down a conveyer belt. This second laser pulse vaporizes a small amount of material from the metal's surface creating a small, highly luminescent plume of plasma, or ionized gas. To quantitatively determine the metal's chemical makeup, the plume is then analyzed by a technique called optical emission spectroscopy. Once the verification is made, the scrap is sorted by alloy on a piece-by-piece basis.

This breakthrough process is significant because it provides a practical way of sorting the scrap at commercially viable rates. Up to now, such alloys were sorted manually, which is a slow and costly process. It is estimated that the first commercial sorting center will be able to analyze and sort 100 million pounds of aluminum per year.

Increasing the efficiency of recycling aluminum does more than add value to recycling aluminum for automakers, it also reduces energy consumption. The production of recycled aluminum requires just 5% of the energy needed to produce primary materials.

The Auto Aluminum Alliance is an inter-industry collaborative research effort between USCAR and The Aluminum Association, Inc., and it is reviewing technical projects to further accelerate the use of new and improved aluminum technologies for motor vehicles.

USCAR is the umbrella organization of DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors, formed in 1992 to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative, pre-competitive research, carried out in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Source: The Aluminum Association

Increase in aluminum use saves 1 billion liters of fuel per year in Europe

Aluminum use in Europe has grown from 100 to 290 lbs per car since 1990 and is expected to add another 55 lbs by 2010. The weight reductions from replacing steel and other materials with the lighter metal have contributed to annual fuel consumption reductions of about 250 million gallons according to a new study. The European Aluminum Association and Knibb, Gormezano & Partners did a study with data from car-makers and suppliers based on the 15 million cars produced in 2005. Along with the reduced fuel consumption, CO2 emissions are reduced by 40 million tonnes over the life-cycle of the vehicles. Aluminum is being increasingly used in engine blocks and heads, suspension components and also in body panels and structures.

More detail can be found at the following link.

The calculations in the study are based on the following assumptions:

• Car lifespan of 200,000 km; yearly vehicle kilometers traveled 15,000 km.
• 0.35 liters of fuel saved per 100 km per 100 kg weight reduction.
• 1 kg of aluminum provides 1 kg of lightweighting.
• 2.835 kg of CO2 per liter of fuel, as the mean value for gasoline and diesel, including pre-combustion (i.e. CO2 generation for fuel production)
• 2.455 kg of CO2 per liter of fuel, as mean value for gasoline and diesel, excluding pre-combustion.
  

From picture: The VW Polo BlueMotion has been selected as a finalist for the 2007 World Green Car title.

The Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion has the lowest CO2 emissions of any car on sale in the UK, electric cars excepted. At just 102g/km, it's cleaner than any other petrol, diesel or petrol-electric hybrid currently offered. And its 72mpg on the official combined cycle beats them on fuel consumption too.

How does it manage it? A combination of highly efficient engine, light weight, high gearing and slick aerodynamics.

Aluminum in Cars

Today's European cars contain an average of 132 kg of aluminium components. In the short term, many additional aluminium applications could be realised without significant re-engineering and extensive cost impact (e.g. by the use of more aluminium hang-on parts). This could easily reduce the average weight of the cars produced in Europe by 40 kg.

Aluminium is the ideal light-weighting material as it allows a weight saving of up to 50% over competing materials in most applications without compromising safety.
Because the average mass of passenger cars has dramatically increased since the 1970's and because vehicle weight directly impacts fuel consumption, light-weighting is necessary more than ever to reduce CO2 emissions per km at the exhaust pipe.

The EAA brochure "Aluminium in cars" highlights numerous advantages of aluminium applications in passengar cars.

Honda Says Aluminum Use May Increase on Steel Price

By Naoko Fujimura and Hiroshi Matsui

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., Japan's second- largest automaker, said competition won't allow carmakers to pass on higher steel costs to consumers, which may accelerate the use of more aluminum in cars.

``The consumer won't accept price increases,'' President Takeo Fukui told reporters in Tokyo today. ``We may see a quicker shift to aluminum.''

Nippon Steel Corp., JFE Holdings Inc., and Posco, Asia's three largest steelmakers, agreed to a 65 percent increase in iron ore prices with Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, the companies said separately on Feb. 18. Honda, Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Japan's other vehicle makers may pay a total of 200 billion yen ($1.87 billion) more for steel next fiscal year, according to analysts.
``We need to lower costs with our production process and procurement,'' as steel will remain as main material for autos for the time being, Fukui said.

Tokyo-based Honda plans to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles as the price of oil rises. Honda aims to make hybrids accounting for 10 percent of its global volume around 2010, Fukui said. Honda's sales goal for 2010 is 4.5 million vehicles.

Hybrid Plans

Honda will release a five-seat hybrid in 2009, aiming to sell 200,000 vehicles a year. Fukui also said sales of a hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z prototype unveiled in Tokyo in October may total about 100,000 units a year. The only hybrid Honda sells now is a version of its Civic small car.

The U.S., where Honda gets 41 percent of vehicle sales may not be entering a recession, as the company keeps posting record sales in areas including the East Cost and the Midwest, Fukui said. Still, sales in California and Florida, two states heavily affected by the crisis in subprime mortgages, have dropped, he said.

``I expect auto demand in the U.S. to remain firm,'' Fukui said. ``A shift to smaller cars from light trucks will probably continue''

Reparability and Auto Insurance Rate for Automobile Made of Aluminum Component

As aluminum use continues to increase in the auto industry, so does the need for understanding and applying "best practices" when repairing automotive aluminum components that will affect on insurance rate of aluminum-intensive car.

A review of both the similarities - and differences - encountered during the repair of aluminum panels compared with those of traditional materials shows that working with aluminum is not difficult; it is merely different.

In fact:

• Some procedures for working with aluminum are easier than with conventional materials
• The majority of tools for working aluminum are similar to those for working conventional materials
• The skills necessary for working aluminum can be learned as easily as the skills required for other materials
• Repair costs are not very different from those of traditional materials
• There are programs currently in place and new programs under development that offer training for repair of aluminum panels

Throughout the past century, body repair shop practices, tools and techniques have been developed to work mainly with automotive steels. As the auto industry looks to the future, however, it is increasingly turning to aluminum as the material of choice for use in automotive body structures and closure panels. As a result, there are a number of repair shops nationwide that are acquiring an expertise in aluminum repair, and their numbers are growing each year.
In fact, comprehensive programs are being put in place that address aluminum’s different characteristics. The development and implementation of repair instructions for specific aluminum vehicles has been led by the manufacturers.
The InterIndustry Conference on Auto Repair (I-CAR)* and others from the auto insurance and repair equipment supply industries have worked side-by-side with experts from the aluminum industry to develop training guides for correct repair of aluminum panels. A nationwide training program which began in 1996; technicians who have attended these programs say working with aluminum is different but not difficult.

Tools for working with aluminum are generally similar to those used for working with steel. However, good practice dictates the same tools should not be used on both metals because of cross-contamination. This causes problems with welding, finishing and potential bimetallic corrosion.
Files, sanding discs and other associated equipment are as effective when working with aluminum as with other metals. Cutting and general working of aluminum is much easier than steel, and the techniques involved are similar to those used in wood-cutting. Reciprocating saws and band saws - both with high blade speeds – are normally used.

When an aluminum part is damaged, the deformed area is work-hardened (strengthened) because of its atomic structure is FCC. Pulling on the part to straighten it will deform undamaged areas, which have not been work-hardened, before correcting the damaged area. Local heating of the damaged area will temporarily soften the heated area so that the damaged area can be corrected. The Aluminum Association provides information on the effects of elevated temperatures on material properties and recommendations for the use of heat for straightening.
A technique known as heat-shrinking can be used to take dents out of aluminum skin panels. When the area around a dent is heated with a torch, the stresses generated by restraining the metal that wants to expand cause the dent to be pushed out.

Another difference between heated aluminum and steel is that aluminum does not change color, even at its melting point. Therefore, it is important to use temperature indicators to keep track of the metal temperature during working. Heat can be used in cases where a technician needs to disassemble an adhesive-bonded joint. As long as the temperature is kept within the recommended range, using heat will soften the adhesive and enable the joint to be chiseled open with less mechanical damage and no long-term effects on material properties.

The most common method used for welding common metals is inert gas (or GMA) welding. Aluminum lends itself very well to this type of welding. Virtually all repair shops possess MIG welders. The more powerful and adaptable machines, required by aluminum, are beginning to penetrate many of the larger repair shops. Lap and fillet welds, butt welds with a backing added for the repair, and MIG plug welds are all approved for replacing other joining methods, as well as to repair original MIG welded joints.

Aluminum panels are finished in the same way as conventional materials, including the use of body fillers. All the major paint suppliers offer aftermarket paint repair systems, which include products designed and tested for specific materials (aluminum, steel, galvanized steel, SMC, etc.). Whatever the material, the supplier will warrantee the quality of the finish provided that the products and procedures for their complete system are used. Most procedures are standard for all the suppliers and the finish systems are warranted as long as directions are followed.

There are few fundamental differences between the repair of steel and aluminum panels and the average repair shop can be outfitted relatively easily for both. The difference between the material costs of steel and aluminum are insignificant in comparison to the cost of replacement parts.
For an experienced technician, the labor time required for aluminum repair is equivalent to that required for steel. To gain appropriate experience, the first step is training. Such training is rapidly spreading, and those who complete instruction are more valued assets to their employers.
As the aluminum content of vehicles increases, more and more repair facilities will learn to better accommodate aluminum-intensive vehicles (AIVs). As AIVs come into the marketplace, repair shops will react - as they always have - to economic pressures and equip themselves to handle damage repairs, much like they did several years ago to adjust to the universal changeover to computer engine controls.

When comparing the relative ease and costs of repairing aluminum and steel, it is clear that aluminum is not more difficult; it is just different. Different techniques are required, as is a clear understanding of the differences between steel and aluminum alloys and how these differences affect the repair process. Such understanding is readily available, as are the necessary specialized tools for proper repair of aluminum. As for training, I-CAR programs have been in existence for several years, and the manufacturers and suppliers are making available the necessary instructional materials to assimilate the repair of aluminum into everyday shop practices.

As the use of automotive aluminum continues to climb due to its performance, safety and environmental advantages, its repair will become as commonplace and routine as that of traditional materials. This factors will definitely affect the insurance rate for aluminum-intensive automobiles.

Source: http://www.autoaluminum.org/

How will aluminum take on the low-cost car?

Toyota will be building a low-cost car undercutting Renault's emerging-market Logan through a "radical" rethink in design and production, the president of the fast-growing Japanese automaker said.

"The focus is on low-cost technology," Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe told Britain's Financial Times newspaper in an interview published Monday. He declined to set a price for a low-cost car but said it would be "at least" less than the Logan.

Renault has started production of the Logan, which will cost from 5,000 euros (6,200 dollars) on up, touted as a budget model for consumers in emerging economies such as China and Russia that conforms to European standards. Watanabe said that Toyota could slash the price by targetting costs throughout production. Everything from design to production methods will be radically changed and we are thinking of a really ultra-low-cost way of designing, using ultra-low-cost materials, even developing new materials if necessary," he said.

The plan would create a new challenge to struggling US automakers. Toyota is set this year to overtake General Motors as the world's largest automaker.The Japanese automaker has cashed in by pioneering environmentally friendly hybrid cars and has also seen success with its luxury Lexus line.

Recently, Tata will also join this emerging market as reported in here. The Tata people's car was aimed to sell for about $2,500--the cheapest, by far, ever made.

(Agence France Presse, January 22, 2007) Picture from http://www.dancewithshadows.com/

Fill Your Car Up with Aluminum?

Pellets made out of aluminum and gallium can produce pure hydrogen when water is poured on them, offering a possible alternative to gasoline-powered engines, U.S. scientists say.
Hydrogen is seen as the ultimate in clean fuels, especially for powering cars, because it emits only water when burned. U.S. President George W. Bush has proclaimed hydrogen to be the fuel of the future, but researchers have not decided what is the most efficient way to produce and store hydrogen.

In the experiment conducted at Purdue University in Indiana, "The hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it," said Jerry Woodall, an engineering professor at Purdue who invented the system.

Woodall said in a statement the hydrogen would not have to be stored or transported, taking care of two stumbling blocks to generating hydrogen.

For now, the Purdue scientists think the system could be used for smaller engines like lawn mowers and chain saws. But they think it would work for cars and trucks as well, either as a replacement for gasoline or as a means of powering hydrogen fuel cells.
"It is one of the more feasible ideas out there," Jay Gore, an engineering professor and interim director of the Energy Center at Purdue's Discovery Park, said in a telephone interview on Thursday. "It's a very simple idea but had not been done before."
On its own, aluminum will not react with water because it forms a protective skin when exposed to oxygen. Adding gallium keeps the film from forming, allowing the aluminum to react with oxygen in the water, releasing hydrogen and aluminum oxide, also known as alumina.
What is left over is aluminum oxide and gallium. In the engine, the byproduct of burning hydrogen is water.

"No toxic fumes are produced," Woodall said.

Based on current energy and raw materials prices, the cost of making the hydrogen fuel is about $3 a gallon, about the same as the average price for a gallon of gas in the United States.
Recycling the aluminum oxide byproduct and developing a lower grade of gallium could bring down costs, making the system more affordable, Woodall said.

CHICAGO, May 18, 2007 (Reuters)

Fuel Standards Will Force Lighter Autos

And yes... Aluminum is the answer.

The energy bill President Bush signed mandating tougher fuel-economy standards sent a simple message to automakers: lighten up.
The new rules certainly give makers of aluminum, carbon fiber and other lightweight materials something to smile about, analysts say, though the steel industry's piece of the auto-industry pie is likely to shrink.
Auto shoppers, meanwhile, can expect to pay a premium at dealerships when the new rules kick-in — but the impact will be mitigated somewhat by fuel savings.
The new law says the auto industry must raise its fleet-wide fuel-economy average 40 percent in the U.S., to 35 miles per gallon, by 2020. Increased mileage requirements could begin as early as 2011.
"With new standards, historically the auto industry has responded by lowering the weight, which meant less steel and more aluminum, rubber, and plastic," said Mary Deily, a professor of economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., who has studied the steel industry.
A 10-percent drop in weight yields roughly a 6-percent improvement in fuel economy, automakers and analysts said, according to the AP.
In order to fully achieve the energy bill's fuel-economy goals, however, automakers are looking at enhanced engine and transmission efficiency — which already can be found in gas-electric hybrid vehicles — reduced tire resistance and improved aerodynamics, says Alan Taub, executive director of research and development at GM.
"The question is how to deliver this fuel economy with the best combination of technologies to deliver the highest value to customers," Taub said.
Today, steel accounts for about 60 percent of an average vehicle's weight in the U.S., down from a generation ago when much more of the metal was used, executives and analysts said. Still, the popularity of trucks, minivans and SUVs has caused the average vehicle weight to rise by more than 25 percent, to about 4,100 pounds, over the past 20 years, helping steel providers, according to the AP.
Even so, the percentage of aluminum in cars has been on the rise for decades since the last boost in fuel economy standards. Alcoa Inc., the country's largest aluminum maker, sees an even greater opportunity ahead.
Hexcel Corp., Zoltek Cos. and other carbon fiber makers also stand to benefit from tougher fuel-economy rules. Their lightweight composite materials, which are significantly more expensive than steel, already are used in some Mercedes, BMW and Audi vehicles and in GM's new Corvette, as well as in the aerospace industry, which is looking to drive down its jet-fuel expenditures.
As aluminum and carbon fiber replace some steel, there will be a "fairly serious cost impact" for consumers, said Larry Rinek, a senior automotive consultant with Frost & Sullivan.
Alcoa spokesman Kevin Lowery said aluminum costs will drop over time as automakers get Alcoa and other metal producers involved earlier in the production process, in order to reduce waste, according to the AP.
Zoltek, Hexcel and other carbon-fiber makers already are ramping up production to meet an anticipated surge in demand. But the mainstreaming of carbon fiber as a car-building material depends on prices coming down, and that can only occur with mass-production, said Brian Yerger, an alternative energy analyst at Jesup & Lamont Securities Corp.
While Europe favors small cars, manual transmissions and diesel engines to offset high fuel prices, U.S. automakers believe they can make cars lighter, and more energy efficient, without sacrificing size.
For example, Ford Motor Co. last month said state-of-the-art engines and power-steering systems will help it meet a portion the fuel efficiency mandates, and that greater use of aluminum and high-strength steel could help shed 250 pounds to 750 pounds per vehicle.
Still, the tiny market for hybrids in the U.S. is growing at a rapid clip. In November, sales of Toyota's Prius, the most popular hybrid in the U.S., jumped 109 percent, compared with a 5-percent drop in sales of trucks and sport utility vehicles, according to the AP.
The American Iron and Steel Institute, whose members include Nucor Corp. and United States Steel Corp., said the fastest growing material being built into new vehicles is advanced high-strength steel, which was developed to help automakers meet current fuel economy standards without compromising safety. It is more expensive than traditional low-carbon steel, but lighter — and not as costly as aluminum or carbon fiber.
The transition to high-strength steel started 10 years ago and today is "cost neutral," Taub said, because automakers can use less of the material per vehicle for an overall 25-percent reduction in weight. Using a similar amount of aluminum provides up to a 45-percent weight reduction, compared with a decade ago, while magnesium and carbon fiber offer weight drops of up to 60 percent — but carry significantly higher costs.
About one-fifth of domestic steel shipments currently go to U.S. automakers, and even if that figure shrinks, steel industry profits will be buffered by the higher prices paid for the high-strength metal.

High-strength steel will remain the dominant car material for quite some time, Taub said, "but you'll see a greater proliferation of other materials."

WASHINGTON, December 27, 2007 (Associated Press)