Last year, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a groundbreaking announcement about their efforts to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for heavy trucks and buses. As Washington tightens standards, the impact of reducing weight, a largely uncharted area with a great potential for growth and influence in meeting these new standards, becomes more evident.

Potential weight savings from a host of aluminum applications available today. Photo courtesy of The Aluminum Association, Inc.

The simple fact is, lighter vehicles use less fuel and create fewer emissions. Next generation commercial vehicles will need to be lighter, cleaner and more fuel efficient – and aluminum delivers on all fronts. To this point, The Aluminum Association’s Transportation Group (ATG) commissioned Ricardo Inc. to study the fuel efficiency impact of lightweighting Class 8 trucks and trailers in the United States. The results were quite compelling.

The study showed that fleets downweighted with aluminum have potential to carry 6.5% more payload per trip. This means fewer trips, and a 6.5% savings of fuel and emissions. To give you some specific examples of savings in individual components, substituting aluminum for roof cabs saves 60 pounds, cab floors save 56 pounds, frame rails save 435 pounds, cab rear walls saves 49 pounds, and cab cross-members saves 38 pounds. On a larger scale, the annual return on investment on a single vehicle was estimated as high as 1,612 gallons of fuel and 17.9 tons of CO₂.

So, taking it a step further and considering these results applied to the total United States Class 8 truck fleet, approximately two million vehicles, the overall economic and ecologic impact of weight savings is estimated at one billion gallons of diesel and 10 million tons of CO₂ annually!

The study simulated different configurations of vehicles and payload conditions (i.e. unloaded, gross vehicle weight [GVW] and half-GVW load) for the major drive cycles that represent commercial transportation, which showed a 14 percent reduction potential with aluminum applications. When reduced weight is combined with other improvements such as, aerodynamics, engine optimization and low rolling resistance, the results were further enhanced.

Additional benefits also were revealed, including lower maintenance costs associated with wear and tear on brakes and tire treads; improved durability due to aluminum components’ corrosion resistance; and an increased truck life cycle and higher resale value.

As the industry looks for cleaner, more efficient, affordable vehicles, it is clear that part of the answer is a holistic approach, which includes low-weight, high-strength, affordable materials matched with smart design, advanced powertrains and cleaner fuels. Therefore, for sustainable, more profitable, higher-performing commercial vehicles, aluminum is an essential part of the solution.

A full copy of the study is available for download here. Or visit here for a copy of the executive summary.

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