Aluminium Car Front Section Reduces Weight and Emissions

BRUSSELS, February 7 -- According to a new study from the Institut fur Kraftfahrwesen Aachen (IKA) carried out in cooperation with the European Aluminium Association, an aluminium concept front section1 for a C-Class2 vehicle reduces weight as well as exceeds the structural performance. In addition to the advantages in driving performance and safety, there are also significant emission savings over the lifetime of the car.

The study analyses the application of aluminium for the structural components of the front section of a state-of-the-art C-class vehicle. Numerical simulation indicates a weight reduction potential of 35% considering the exact design space limitations of the reference vehicle. In a Progressive approach, the design space was expanded as far as possible with respect to the major package components of the reference vehicle to allow more design freedom and encourage innovative ideas. In this case, a weight reduction potential of 41% was achieved, with a significant increase in stiffness plus improved energy absorption in case of a crash. Furthermore, keeping power-to-weight ratio of a car constant, such weight reductions also allow for downsizing of other components leading to secondary weight savings.

The introduction of an aluminium front section in 5 million C-Class cars and a weight reduction according to the Progressive approach plus secondary weight reductions will save 2.2 million tonnes of CO2 over the lifespan of the vehicles, equivalent to saving 770 million litres of fuel3.

Looking at CO2 emissions of a car, the Progressive approach that uses 21.54 kg of aluminium reduces CO2 exhausts by 1.9 grams per kilometre4.

With rising fuel costs and vehicle weights, the use of lightweight materials for automotive engineering is a much-discussed approach for improving vehicle economy. However, lightweight metals have hardly been used for load bearing structures of compact and middle class car bodies. This is despite the fact that fuel economy is often a major selling point for this class of vehicle and that the effect of weight reduction on fuel consumption is most significant in 'stop-start' city traffic, where cars of smaller classes are most frequently used.

In this study, both design concepts had to offer at least the same bending and torsion stiffness as well as crash performance as the reference structure. The objective was to achieve a high level of weight reduction under these constraints. The positive results of the aluminium structure with respect to mass reduction and structural performance identify aluminium as an ideal material for structural components of the front sections of C-class passenger cars.

Notes to Editors:

1. The study considered the parts of the vehicle front section shown above in blue.

2. C-Class vehicle examples: Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Citroen C4, Fiat Stilo,Ford Focus, Opel Astra, Peugeot 307, Renault Megane, Volkswagen Golf

3. Calculations based on the following assumptions:

- Car lifespan of 200,000 km

- 0.35 litres of fuel saved per 100 km per 100 kg weight reduction

- 2.835 kg of CO2 per litre of fuel, as mean value for petrol and diesel, including pre-combustion (i.e.CO2 generation for fuel production)

4. Calculation based on 2.455 kg of CO2 per litre of fuel, as mean value for petrol and diesel, excluding pre-combustion.

Aluminium is all around us. It is light and strong, corrosion resistant and durable, formable and highly conductive, it has natural shine and is recyclable. Aluminium provides intelligent solutions for present and future generations.

The European Aluminium Association, founded in 1981, represents the European aluminium industry from alumina and primary production to semi-finished and end-use products, through to recycling. The European aluminium industry directly employs about 236,000 people.