Emissions Savings from Lightweighting

AUGUST 2011: Fule Economy and Emission Rule Calls aluminum #1 Learn more.

The use of aluminum to make lighter heavy-duty trucks can deliver a substantial reduction in CO₂ and other emissions over the life of the vehicle through improved fuel economy, even when considering the CO₂ generated by the initial production of aluminum. Moreover, lightweighting with aluminum increases payloads within maximum truck weights and reduces the number of trips necessary to transport cargo.

The steel industry claims to be more energy efficient; however to truly compare it is critical to examine full lifecycle where aluminum’s use-phase savings dominate. In fact, the energy and CO₂ associated with producing materials remains small relative to fuel and CO₂ emissions during vehicle use.

Additionally, the aluminum industry has worked successfully to reduce its greenhouse gases emissions through voluntary initiatives and continuous technological advances. In the past ten years, CO₂ emissions have been reduced by 10 percent and PFCs emissions, when compared to 1990-levels, have been reduced by more than 80 percent.

Calculate the Potential Savings
To explore the net benefit of improved aluminum production and aluminum use in transportation to the environment, the International Aluminium Association (IAI) published a peer-reviewed report in 2008 on Improving Sustainability in the Transport Sector. This report goes beyond the existing theoretical studies on the subject to focus on the environmental aspects of lightweighting in transportation and the resulting savings of fuel and electricity.

Full lifecycle of vehicle components was investigated, including fabrication and manufacturing, vehicle use and material production (recycling and primary). For each component a sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the impact of lifetime driving distances on greenhouse gas emissions. To reach this conclusion and to allow OEMs and others to study the lifecycle impact of using aluminum in transportation, the IAI developed a transparent, relatively easy to use model illustrated schematically below to quantify additional fuel and GHG emissions savings.

A user inputs specifications on a vehicle and the component to be modeled and then applies their own assumptions regarding how long a vehicle lasts, anticipated fuel economy before lightweighting, the anticipated weight reduction from using aluminum versus a traditional material for a component, etc. The resulting output is then final energy savings through lightweighting, CO₂ equivalents savings through lightweighting and carbon footprints of aluminum and competing material.

Users can apply their own assumptions regarding how long a vehicle lasts, anticipated fuel economy before lightweighting, the anticipated weight reduction from using aluminum versus a traditional material for a component. To access the model, click here.