Advanced Lightweight Materials
The weight of a vehicle is directly correlated to fuel consumption and CO2 emission.
Modern vehicles have increased application of plastics, which are lighter than steel, especially for the non-stressed parts.
In the future we will see that more plastic will be used within the design of a vehicle and material such as magnesium and aluminum will be more and more applied for seat frames, etc.
The material that will replace the steel in a vehicle body needs to be strong. Advanced lightweight materials that will belong to the future vehicle could be HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy), aluminum, magnesium, fiber-reinforced and other composites, or kevlar for example.
Potential fuel economy benefit – [10-20%]
More on vehicle weight.
The information contained on this website is intended as practical guidance coupled with examples of auto fuel economy policies and approaches in use around the world. It is not a complete collection of all national examples, nor does it track national and global progress on improving auto fuel economy. It is a work in progress and is updated regularly.This website does not support IE 5 and below.
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