2024-03-06
The federal government's fuel economy regulations stipulate that by 2025, the fuel economy standards for cars will be raised to 54.5 miles per gallon (approximately 4.8 liters per 100 kilometers). The European Union plans to implement a mandatory emission standard of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer for car exhaust by 2020 (the current policy is to emit 130 grams per kilometer by 2015). China aims to achieve the goal of increasing the average fuel consumption of cars from 7.5 liters per 100 kilometers to 5 liters per 100 kilometers by 2020.
Reducing weight is the simplest and most effective way to improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Since luxury cars such as Audi began using aluminum components in the 1990s, aluminum has entered the automotive industry. Since then, the use of aluminum in cars has begun to increase, and more and more car manufacturers have started to use aluminum to replace traditional steel in material selection. Countries such as the European Union and North America have taken the lead. The latest survey by American market research firm Ducker Worldwide on various types of cars in the market shows that the proportion of aluminum metal in vehicle weight has risen to 12%.
The results of the DuckerWorld survey show that using aluminum instead of steel to manufacture cars can reduce the weight of the entire vehicle by 30-40%, reduce engine weight by 30%, and reduce wheel hub weight by 30%. From 2006 to 2012, the average usage of aluminum alloy in EU light vehicles increased by 19.2 kilograms. Currently, aluminum accounts for 53% of the ultra light vehicle programs developed in Europe and North America, with approximately 30% of car engine hoods and 20% of bumpers made of aluminum metal. This proportion is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The new generation Ford Mustang, which was launched in China at the end of 2013, features an aluminum metal cover and aluminum front fenders, reducing weight by 90 kilograms. The upcoming all-new F-150 will be built with an all aluminum body, with a total weight of 317 kilograms lighter than the current model, and fuel economy is expected to increase by 15% to 20%. The Audi R8, A8, and Jaguar XJ all feature an all aluminum body, and the all-new Range Rover creatively adopts all aluminum load-bearing lightweight technology, reducing the weight of the Range Rover body by 39% compared to the previous generation's steel body structure. DuckerWorldwide has predicted that by 2015, the average aluminum usage per car in major European countries will increase to 180 kilograms, and the proportion of aluminum materials in the weight of the entire car will also increase from the current 9% to 12%. By 2025, it will climb to nearly 250 kilograms, and the proportion of aluminum metal in the weight of light vehicles will double.
In the future, new energy vehicles will replace traditional fuel powered vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, lithium-ion battery vehicles, Mercedes Benz E-CellPlus and Mercedes Benz F-Cell electric vehicles, as well as Honda FCXClarity and other new powertrain vehicles, mostly use aluminum as the main material for their bodies.
The latest survey results show that so-called all aluminum cars using a large amount of aluminum alloy can achieve a 40% weight reduction effect, and when combined with other auxiliary lightweight and optimized designs, can increase fuel economy by up to 18%.
Automotive aluminum alloys are relatively weak: According to data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007, aluminum is more than twice as expensive as steel in terms of raw material costs, twice as expensive as steel in terms of processing costs, and 20% -30% more expensive than steel in assembly. Overall, an aluminum component is estimated to be 60% -80% more expensive than traditional steel components. According to automotive structure experts at Alcoa, the average cost of a car's all aluminum body structure is $1400-4600, which is 65% higher than a steel body. Beijing Baihui believes that reducing the power consumption cost of electrolytic aluminum and extensively using recycled aluminum of the same alloy grade will be the key to enhancing the competitive advantage of automotive aluminum alloys.
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