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In the next decade, the auto industry will see an explosion in its use of aluminum to cut weight and increase fuel economy, according to a study from market analysts Ducker Worldwide cited by The Detroit News. We are already seeing the lightweight metal show up extensively in luxury models from Europe, but with the impending launch of aluminum-intensive 2015 Ford F-150 (pictured above), North America is using it even more, as well. The report predicts 70 per cent of US pickups to have aluminum bodies by 2025.
It won’t just be pickups that see the benefit, though. The average amount of aluminum in US vehicles is forecasted by the study to grow from an average of 159 kilograms (350 pounds) in 2013 to about 249 kilos (550 pounds) by 2025. The most common parts to use it will be hoods, doors and – to some extent – roofs, as well.
The massive increase in pickups’ aluminum content hardly seems surprising. The F-150 is predicted to use so much that it might cause a short-term shortage, according to one earlier report. At the same time General Motors is heavily rumoured to be negotiating with suppliers for the next generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Ram is the last holdout of the Big Three, but the study predicts that not to last.
With that much additional aluminum use spread across the entire industry, demand for the material appears to only be increasing. Ford CEO Alan Mulally forecasted as much at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show when he said it would “proliferate across our lineup,” and GM has seen more opportunities for its use as well.
70% of pickups could use aluminum by 2025
70% of pickups could use aluminum by 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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