Majority of Pickups Could Use Aluminum by 2025
The 2015 Ford F-150 is paving the way to plenty more aluminum pickup trucks.
According to a recent study by Ducker Worldwide, as many as 70 percent of pickups could have an aluminum body by 2025. It is expected that every leading automaker will have an aluminum body program in place, with Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler being the biggest users of aluminum. The study was commissioned by the Aluminum Transportation Group and looked at trends in aluminum usage for the North American vehicle market.
SEE ALSO: GM Planning Aluminum Body Pickup Trucks
Reducing weight has become a main priority for various automakers as they seek a way to improve fuel efficiency across their fleet. Last year, vehicles averaged a little more than 350 lbs of aluminum content and that number is expected to rise to nearly 400 lbs by 2015 and 550 lbs by 2025.
The major question is whether or not aluminum supply can keep up with demand in the coming years. Currently, automakers need less than 200-million lbs of aluminum, but that number could exponentially increase to nearly four-billion lbs by 2025.
The study also estimates that 85 percent of all vehicles will have an aluminum hood by 2025 and almost half of all vehicle doors will be aluminum by the same year. In 2012, one in three hoods were aluminum while only six percent of doors were made of the lightweight material.
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[Source: Detroit News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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