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Business World Magazine
The luxury sedan market will likely be
the first to transition to self-driving
electric vehicles. Passenger comfort
and safety, and an expansive view of
the surrounding environment, are
expected to be top priorities for this
market.
The hefty B pillars used in conventional
vehicles to meet structural require-
ments for crashworthiness are undesir-
able in a self-driving scenario. To ena-
ble large windows and an unobstructed
view without sacrificing passenger
safety, lightweight aluminum will be the
strong material of choice.
Supporting the eventual
transition to autonomous
vehicles
In addition to the design challenges
presented by EVs, society’s demand
for sustainable solutions will likely
continue to be a driver in the transition
to aluminum-lightweighted vehicles.
A Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahr-
wesen mbH Aachen (fka) study, using
a Volkswagen Golf as its reference
vehicle, determined that an electric
aluminum-based vehicle could meet
the same safety standards as its steel-
based equivalent, while emitting 1.5
tons less greenhouse gases over its
lifecycle, taking into consideration pro-
duction, a total driving distance of more
than 93,000 miles (150,000 kilometers)
and eventual recycling.
Ongoing environmental
concerns
Conclusion
Aluminum alloys are ideally suited to the design challenges presented by electric
and autonomous vehicles. By aligning with aluminum partners deeply experienced
in developing processes and alloys to meet demanding performance requirements,
transportation vehicle OEMs are accelerating the pace of EV and self-driving vehicle
adoption throughout North America. .