Transportation

The use of aluminum in transportation is giving new meaning to the expression "put the pedal to the metal." Transportation's 33.9 percent share of total 2005 North American aluminum shipments made it the largest user of aluminum as measured by net shipments (8.7 billion pounds). This market has grown steadily over the last decade, with passenger vehicles and light trucks responsible for most of the increase.

Aluminum's use in vehicles is rapidly increasing due to a heightened need for fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles. Automakers appreciate that the use of lightweight aluminum body structures permits them to downsize other parts of the car. Aluminum can provide a weight savings of up to 55 percent compared to an equivalent steel structure, while matching or exceeding crashworthiness standards of similarly sized steel structures. The lifetime fuel savings of these vehicles can amount to 500 - 700 gallons of gasoline, or up to $2,000 at current (December 2007) U.S. prices for gasoline—and significantly more in Europe and Japan.

The Ford Motor Company now has aluminum-intensive test vehicles on the road providing 46 percent weight savings in the structure, with no loss in crash protection. Other automobile companies currently with aluminum-intensive vehicles in production are Audi, General Motors, and Chrysler.

To learn more about the automotive use of aluminum, visit www.autoaluminum.org