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Business World Magazine
Aluminum expected to accelerate worldwide
adoption of electric and self-driving vehicles
Material takes on an ever-widening role in tomorrow’s vehicles
For more than a decade, concerns about
fuel efficiency have been encouraging
OEMS to replace steel with aluminum
on vehicle bodies, doors, trunks, hoods,
bumpers, crash boxes, brakes, cables and
wheels. With the advent of electric and
autonomous vehicles, OEMs worldwide
are discovering new uses for aluminum.
The need for battery casings and heat
exchangers in electric vehicles, combined
with autonomous vehicles’ demands for
high visibility and structural integrity, is
expected to exponentially increase the
use of sheet aluminum in tomorrow’s
cars, trucks and buses.
Supporting the transition to battery-powered vehicles
Four major design challenges confront OEMs in their transition to electric vehicles.
Extending vehicle range
Improving battery and passenger
safety
Increasing passenger comfort
Optimizing cooling systems for lithium-ion
batteries
The substitution of sheet aluminum for steel helps resolve OEM concerns.
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