At the recent Detroit Auto Show, Ford introduced an aluminium-bodied F-150 pickup that is as much as 700 pounds (318 kilograms) lighter, than the predecessor, making it the “most fuel efficient it’s ever been”, Ford CEO Alan Mulally said.
“Overall, up to 700 pounds of weight have been saved, helping the F-150 tow more, haul more, accelerate quicker and stop shorter, and contributing to efficiency,” Ford says in a statement about the new truck.
Ford will expand its use of aluminium, which is more costly than steel, throughout its line-up, starting with larger models that can realize the biggest weight savings, he said. Aluminium is more expensive to utilise but offers benefits such as less weight for the vehicle thus saving on fuel as well as being a longer lasting and tougher material, Mulally said. Aluminium is said to costs about twice as much as steel, but the vehicles will be made from an alloy of aluminium.
As reported in ABC News, Brian Johnson of Barclays Capital estimates Ford earns about $11,000 on a pickup truck sale compared to $5,000 for a car, the Los Angeles Times reported, and the F-Series trucks comprises nearly half of Ford’s North American profits.
Aluminium is already being used in motor vehicles but has not replaced steel, the historical material of choice for more than a century. If Ford succeeds with usage across the majority of its vehicles, it’s likely to result in others in the industry doing likewise. Jamaica would stand to benefit, as greater usage could mean greater demand for alumina which historically is a major export product for the country.
Image courtesy of wandee007/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Chart via The Wall Street Journal
