Lightweight Steel Technologies Can Help Automakers Achieve Fuel and Emissions Standards
05/21/2009 - Members of AISI’s Steel Market Development Institute are accelerating their efforts to provide automakers with new advanced high-strength steels that can lead to affordable mass reduction solutions.
The American Iron and Steel Institute's Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) announced that its members are accelerating their work to provide affordable advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) solutions that can help automakers in their efforts to meet new, more stringent fuel economy standards, while maintaining critical safety requirements.
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“When it comes to reducing emissions, steel is the obvious material of choice for lightweighting, as it can reduce total life cycle CO2 emissions by up to 15 % more than any other automotive material."
Ron Krupitzer
Vice President Automotive Applications Steel Market Development Institute |
President Barack Obama's administration recently released new fuel economy standards that would raise the required industry average to 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2016. Under the new rules, passenger vehicles will have to meet an average 39 mpg, while light trucks will be required to meet 30 mpg. It is estimated that these measures would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil and raise the average fuel efficiency of a new car by 30%.
“When it comes to reducing emissions, steel is the obvious material of choice for lightweighting, as it can reduce total life cycle CO2 emissions by up to 15 % more than any other automotive material," said Ron Krupitzer, Vice President Automotive Applications for SMDI.
“Life cycle assessment (LCA), an established method of accounting for total greenhouse gas emissions associated with products like automobiles, has become an effective tool in determining the carbon footprint of products,” said Krupitzer. “LCA demonstrates steel's contribution to lower vehicle emissions through the use of highly energy-efficient AHSS coupled with steel's full recyclability at the end of the vehicle's useful life.”
AHSS are the fastest-growing material in today's new vehicles, according to a recent study by Ducker Worldwide, reflecting growing acceptance by automakers that are seeing them produce benefits for cost, mass reduction, fuel efficiency and safety.
The Automotive Applications Council is a part of AISI's Steel Market Development Institute. The council focuses on advancing the use of steel in the highly competitive automotive market. Automotive Applications Council investors include:
· ArcelorMittal Dofasco
· ArcelorMittal USA
· Nucor Corporation
· Severstal North America Inc.
· United States Steel Corp.
