General Motors is looking to follow in Ford’s footsteps with an aluminum-bodied Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra when the next generation rolls around in 2018.
According to a report out of the Wall Street Journal (hat tip to TTAC), GM has already signed contracts with aluminum suppliers Alcoa and Novelis, is already working on an aluminum platform for its next generation of half-ton pickups.
But where Ford uses a riveting and bonding procedure for the F-150′s panels, GM plans to weld its panels together, a process used on aluminum parts found on cars like the Cadillac CTS-V and the Corvette Stingray. The process would reduce manufacturing time and material required, and ultimately shave off even more curb weight.
Ford says the 2015 F-150 has 97 per cent of its body structure made out of aluminum, including the bed. The materials translate to weight savings of 318 kg, or 700 lbs, over the outgoing F-150.
