Heavier Metal-based Vehicles Produced in North America will be Aluminum-bodied by 2025

Over the next decade, more than 75-percent of all new pick-up trucks manufactured in North America will be made of lighter aluminum bodies, according to a survey of automakers conducted by Ducker Worldwide.  

"In a decades time, seven out of 10 new pick-up trucks will be made out of aluminum as an aluminum intensive vehicle," said Tom Boney, chairman of the Aluminum Association's Aluminum Transportation Group and vice president and general manager of automotive for Novelis in North America.

Boney said there are some great advantages to using aluminum. "The safety performance has been outstanding, fuel efficiency improves, the performance because of the light weighting and using the same size engine and powertrains improves and it's an environmentally-sound product," he said.

The survey confirms a major breakthrough for automotive aluminum into higher volume vehicles. Boney said the metal has been used in the auto industry for the past 40 years, "What we've seen is an increase of adoption year over year without fail over that time period."

Boney pointed out some advantages to using aluminum in vehicles, "Aluminum is at end of life becomes recyclable. The whole manufacturing process in environmentally sound. And therefore drives benefits to the consumer and to the automobile manufacturer."

Boney noted with fuel efficiency driving the popularity of aluminum we can expect to see luxury vehicles, Sport Utility vehicles and mini-vans start to move in a rapid fashion to more and more aluminum intensity.

Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler will become the biggest users of aluminum sheet in the next decade, according to the report.