Aluminum Provides Superior Lifecycle Emissions Reductions and Energy Savings According to International Research Development Body

Detroit, April 14, 2010 – A new sustainability study on automotive materials was released Tuesday afternoon at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) 2010 World Congress in Detroit. The study highlights aluminum’s and magnesium’s superior lifecycle emissions reduction and energy savings benefits. Initiated to explore the potential for increased use of magnesium in automobiles, the Magnesium Front End Research Development (MFERD) project conducted a full life-cycle assessment study on the impact of steel, magnesium and aluminum front end parts in a Cadillac CTS and concluded aluminum was the environmental winner.

“We appreciate the unbiased approach taken by MFERD in exploring what technologies and materials can help improve the total lifecycle performance in vehicles,” said Randall Scheps, Chairman of the Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group and Marketing Director, Alcoa Inc.  “We have been saying for years that the answer to better fuel economy and lower emissions is a holistic, multi-material approach combining strong light materials like aluminum and magnesium with smart design and advanced powertrains. When you take a holistic approach, safety and comfort are not compromised – and efficiency can be greatly improved.”

The study, a collaborative effort between organizations in Canada, China and the United States, found that when analyzing the full lifecycle of the metals, magnesium delivers a 15 percent energy savings compared with steel design and aluminum yields a 20 percent energy savings. When looking at the total life cycle CO₂ emissions, magnesium is 12 percent better than steel and aluminum is 20 percent better. The aluminum design achieved the best lifetime performance for overall energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Aluminum Association also provided a technical keynote address on another study at SAE. This study addressed the benefits of weight reduction through lightweight materials on electric vehicle performance, range and battery size. Through this study, the role of vehicle, battery and powertrain mass as well as drive cycle on range and performance was examined.

“Everyone knows that hybrids and full-electric cars depend on expensive battery packs for energy storage” said Scheps. “In these powertrain configurations, we found that a dollar invested in lightweighting can save up to three dollars in battery costs - without compromising range. Those are the kind of win-win solutions we love to deliver to our customers.”

The aluminum industry is a leader among metals suppliers in advocating full lifecycle analysis (LCA). LCA encompasses not only the fuel economy benefits, but also the emissions related to mining, refining, and recycling.  On this basis, every pound of aluminum saves 20 lbs. of CO₂ emissions over the lifetime of the vehicle.  In fact, lightweighting the world’s overall transportation fleet through the use of aluminum has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 660 million tons annually, or nearly 9 percent of global, transportation-related greenhouse gas emission.

For more information on Aluminum Association studies or to arrange an interview on any of these topics, visit www.aluminumintransportation.org.

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About the Aluminum Association
Through its Aluminum Transportation Group, the Aluminum Association communicates the benefits of aluminum in ground transportation applications to help accelerate its penetration through research programs and related outreach activities. The ATG’s mission is to serve member companies and act as a central resource for the automotive and commercial vehicle industries on aluminum issues. Members of the ATG include: Alcoa Inc., Novelis Inc., Rio Tinto Alcan, Aluminum Precision Products Inc., Kaiser Aluminum Corporation and Sapa Group.