1. Role of Aluminum
in Meeting Future Federal Fuel
Economy Regulations
Harry Siegel
Sapa Extrusions
on behalf of
The Aluminum Association’s
Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG)

2. The Aluminum Association’s
Aluminum Transportation Group
(ATG)
www.aluminumintransportation.org
2

3. U.S. Faces Stricter
Fuel Economy Regs
• April 2010: the Obama Administration established
regulation that, starting with 2012 model year vehicles,
requires automakers to reduce fleet-wide greenhouse
gas emissions by approximately 5% every year and
strengthen fuel economy each year, reaching an
estimated 34.1 mpg for the combined industry-wide
fleet by model year 2016
• October 2010: the Obama Administration announced
next steps toward establishing tighter fuel economy
and emissions standards for 2017 through 2025 model-
year vehicles

4. The Virtuous Weight Cycle: Enabler
for Meeting CAFE Standards
Mass
Reduction
Downsized
Reinvest • Improved fuel economy Powertrain
• No sacrifice of safety or function
Cost
Savings Secondary
Weight

5. Automakers’ Downweighting Plans
• Audi: Uses aluminum technology to achieve a 25% increase in body
stiffness, while reducing weight by up to 20% in A8
• BMW: To use more aluminum to cut weight
• Ford: “I believe in 2015 and 2020, we will be more aluminum-intensive,”
said Matthew Zaluzec, Ford Motor Co.’s manager for global materials and
manufacturing research. “It may not be 100%, but it could be more than
50%.” – The Wall Street Journal, March 2011
• GM: To trim 500 lbs by 2016 and 1,000 lbs. by 2020
• Jaguar Land Rover: To construct all future vehicles with aluminum bodies
• Nissan: To reduce 15% of vehicle weight

6. Existing Aluminum Applications
Body Structure
Airbag Housings Trim Body Skin sheet
Powertrain Castings
Bumper Beams Wheels
Driveshaft
Heat Exchangers
Suspension Brake Housing
Wiring Components
• Today’s vehicle contains about 10% aluminum by weight
• Many vehicles in the U.S. fleet use 400-500 pounds of aluminum
• Worldwide content is projected to grow to 28-30 billion pounds per year
– up from the current 16-17 billion pounds – between now and 2020
• More than 95% of automotive aluminum is recycled

7. Weight Savings Translates to
Fuel Economy Improvement
Mass of Body-in-White Fuel Economy Improvement
400 3
2.7 MPG
350 Improvement
2.5
300
2
250
Miles Per Gallon
200 1.5 0.8 MPG
Kilograms
150
per 100 lbs.
1
100
0.5
50
0
0
Steel (baseline) High Strength Aluminum Steel (baseline- High Strength Aluminum
30 mpg) Steel Intensive Intensive
Steel Intensive Intensive
Source: ika - University of Aachen and the European Aluminium Source: Aluminum Association calculated based on ika
Association (EAA) mass reduction data; assumes 23% secondary weight
savings

8. Downweighting Creates Value –
Advanced Powertrains
Percent Increase in MPG Cost per 1 MPG Increase
60.0% $300
50.0% $250
40.0% $200
30.0% $150
20.0% $100
10.0% $50
0.0% $0
Baseline Diesel Hybrid Baseline Diesel Hybrid
Steel Body Aluminum Body Steel Body Aluminum Body
Source: IBIS Associates

9. PEV and PHEV Study
$3 Battery Cost Savings Per $1 Invested in Electric Vehicles
Objective:
• Evaluate the impact of vehicle weight reduction on electric
vehicle performance, range and battery size
Results:
• Reduced battery cost: $900 - $1,950 (@ $750/KWh)
• EV weight reduction potential: 19%
• 10% mass reduction: 4 - 6% reduction in battery size
• Expected aluminum structure cost premium: $630
20% reduced vehicle mass yields a 20% range increase
Source: Ricardo

10. Time for Down Weighting is Now
• A necessity in the holistic approach to meeting U.S.
and global regulations without sacrificing safety or
functionality
• The only fuel saving technology that complements
advanced powertrains
• Offers more CO2 and fuel savings than other
materials
• Transition can happen faster than alternative
powertrain breakthroughs while preserving U.S. jobs

11. Thank You
www.aluminumintransportation.org