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Report: Aluminum Surpasses Steel in Net Energy Savings
Aluminum is better than lightweight steel at reducing a vehicle's net energy cost and carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new analysis by the U.S.
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Aluminum is better than lightweight steel at reducing a vehicle's net energy cost and carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new analysis by the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The study notes that aluminum requires more energy to make and reuse than does steel. But it says an aluminum-intensive vehicle's lower weight and better fuel economy enables it to recoup the energy required to make its aluminum content in only 9,300 miles.
The report says a similar vehicle made of lightweight steel would need 27,300 miles to reach the same breakeven point.
Oak Ridge based its calculations on the differences in weight and fuel economy of a 2010 Toyota Venza midsize crossover made of aluminum or steel. The analysis did not include the actual cost of each version of the vehicle.
Aluminum vehicle components are roughly one-third the weight of comparable parts made of steel. But aluminum also costs several times as much as steel. Carmakers expect to double their use of aluminum within the next 10 years to help them meet future fuel economy and emission regulations.
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