The advantages of aluminum are numerous, but a new report says Ford likely won’t use it beyond its full-size pickups.
That’s because Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas, sees better and more affordable ways to improve fuel economy in its cars, according to Automotive News.
“One of the big benefits you get from lightweighting on trucks is you give consumers more capability that they want. You can tow more, you can haul more, you can do more of those things by taking weight out,” he said during the Detroit Auto Show. “You don’t get those same benefits to a consumer on a car side. Car buyers will pay for better fuel economy, but there’s other ways to get fuel economy in a car.”
Following the 2015 F-150, Ford will switch to aluminum with the next-generation of Super Duty pickups but won’t take it any further. But that’s not to say Ford is completely ruling out aluminum in its cars — Hinrichs says he expects more Ford cars to uutilize aluminum in smaller applications, like for hoods and doors.
