Alacero – Santiago, Chile, June 11th, 2013. According to information issued by worldsteel –the global organization that represents the steel industry, being Alacero one of its members- recent studies reveal that steel auto bodies in the near future will be 39% lighter –as lightweight as today´s aluminum structures- while meeting all crash performance standards and comparable cost of current steel structures.
International and national regulations increasingly challenge the automotive industry to produce lighter vehicles that lower oil consumption and CO2 emissions. In order to answer these requirements -as steel is a key material in car bodies- a group of steel producers engaged in an innovation program called “FutureSteelVehicle” (FSV), sponsored by worldsteel.
Research done in the context of this initiative, shows that because of the increasing development of AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steel), between 2015 and 2020, steel will help reduce vehicles´ current weight up to 39%. Intensive use of AHSS steel will also contribute to lower emissions throughout the vehicle´s whole life cycle.
The FSV program developed optimized AHSS body structures for 4 proposed 2015-2020 model-year vehicles: battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) A-/B- Class vehicles; and PHEV and fuel cell (FCEV) C-/D- Class vehicles. It is also important to notice that these advancements are equally applicable for any type of automobile.
FSV takes the Steel industry to the forefront of innovation, including the most advanced steels and technologies that will later become part of the tool sets of automotive engineers worldwide. It uses more than 20 new AHSS grades, representing materials expected to be commercially available in the 2015-2020 technology horizon. These steels answer the call of automakers for stronger, formable steels needed for lighter structures that meet increasingly stringent crash requirements.
In addition to its environmental benefits, steel´s design flexibility enables the best use of state-of-the-future design optimization process that develops non-intuitive solutions for structural performance. The resulting optimized shapes and component configurations often mimic Mother Nature´s own design proficiency, which allows engineers to place specific materials precisely in the structure to most efficiently meet structural and strength requirements for managing vehicle loads.
About Alacero
Alacero –Latin American Steel Association- is the organization that brings together the Steel Value Chain of Latin America to promote the values of regional integration, technological innovation, corporate responsibility and social and environmental sustainability. Founded in 1959, Alacero is formed by 52 companies of 25 countries, whose production –of about 70 million annual tons- represents 95% of the steel manufactured in Latin America. Alacero is a Special Consulting Organization to the United Nations and is recognized as International Non-Government Organization by the Republic of Chile, host country of Alacero´s headquarters.
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