August 30, 2011. The Green Piece Column.
We all wish we could lose a few pounds, don’t we? Whether it’s to look good on that last summer trip to the beach or just for our general health and well-being, there are a lot of advantages to losing weight – something that’s not escaped the leading car manufacturers either.
Yes it seems the brains behind the vehicles we love to drive are also conscious about their figure – and as such, the market for lightweight materials is taking off. In fact, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan (see article), entitled “Prevalent Substitution Trends within Materials and Chemicals in Automotive Lightweighting”, the lightweight automotive materials market, which was worth $38billion in 2010, could reach $95.34 billion by 2017.
Environmental regulations
According to Frost & Sullivan, one of the key reasons behind the fall in weight has been the enforcement of environmental regulations. It points to the fact that Governments around the world have been introducing mandates on fuel consumption and/or carbon emissions and these laws have in turn resulted in the lowering of vehicles’ weight by replacing heavy materials in certain systems with lighter alternatives. As long as the vehicle’s powertrain is also downsized, then a 10 per cent reduction in weight could offer fuel savings from five- to seven per cent.
In addition, there is an end-of-life directive in Europe that encourages carmakers to minimise the waste created when a vehicle reaches the end of its useful life. This encourages the use of recyclable lightweight materials too.
However, the stumbling block is that many of these lightweight materials hike costs considerably and with the economy continuing on its downturn, manufacturers are unlikely to look favourably at alternatives to metal-based assembly that in turn push prices up.
What are the materials being used?
The materials highlighted by Frost & Sullivan included: advanced high-strength steels, aluminium, magnesium, polypropylene, polyamides, polyurethanes, acrylo-nitrile butadiene styrene, thermosetting composites and high-performance polymers. 
Aluminium is at the forefront of this usage in terms of value and volume, and is the leading material choice for exterior body panels; whereas advanced high strength steels are expected to replace lower grade steels in the long term.
The automotive plastics market is also expected to grow rapidly. In 2010 it was estimated at $17,305.7million by revenue; and this is expected to grow to $35,536.2million by 2017 at a compound annual growth rate of 10.8 per cent. In particular there will be more plastics substitution in the interior of vehicles and under the bonnet. However, the rate of substitution will be low in structural parts where there needs to be more impact resistant properties.
Currently, the market is dominated by a number of key players. In terms of the automotive metals market, it is global conglomerates such as Arcelor-Mittal; POSCO; US Steel; Alcoa; Alcan; US Magnesium; and Dead Sea Magnesium; that lead the way. Meanwhile, in the automotive plastics market it is global resin producers, such as: Lyndoll-Basell; Borealis; DuPont; Exxon-Mobil; Rhodia; and Sinopec; that not only supply the basic resin but also mould them for the tier I suppliers.
Prices will be influenced in part by global crude oil prices with any fluctuations reflected in the product lines.
Our verdict – Why slimming down makes sense
The international focus on energy is impacting consumer purchasing decisions for vehicles and, as such, automakers are looking to reduce weight for fuel efficiency which has become as important a pre-requisite for a vehicle as comfort and drive.
It appears that the myth that being lightweight affects performance is starting to disappear. Redesigning cars to make them more lightweight can be done in a number of ways, including changing the interior of a car. For example, if you use a lighter and more environmentally friendly material on the seats, the vehicle will still be lighter – however, there is no reason to believe there will be any negative effect on how that vehicle performs. In fact, a lightweight car can often have superior handling, accelerate faster and have the potential to brake quicker too.
Perhaps most importantly however, using lightweight materials improves the efficiency both of the engines and the vehicle’s fuel consumption, meaning a potential reduction in carbon dioxide emissions too.
Advancements in materials such as lightweight steel and aluminium mean we can have the best of both worlds – strong, stiff cars that perform well and don’t compromise safety or size. That’s why if prices continue to fall we can expect the weight of the vehicles we drive to follow suit.
Faye Sunderland.
