Full statement by Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Gies, Head of the "Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge", RWTH Aachen University
“It has been demonstrated that vehicles offering excellent protection for occupants and vulnerable road users can be designed using aluminium. Several car models on the market and the examples in the presentations compiled by the European Aluminium Association show that this is possible for full-aluminium vehicles or hybrid structures with safety-relevant aluminium parts. Succeeding in terms of safety is rather a matter of design and dimensioning than it is of the material. At the end of the day, the material use in cars will be determined by the costs per kg weight saved using a certain material and the strategy of the car manufacturer. The latter meaning how much the different OEMs are willing to pay for weight reduction. Consequently, the material industry will be challenged to offer innovative solutions that enable further weight savings or open up options for lightweight cost reduction. Finally, if the future car shall not only have to be comfortable and safe, but also sustainable, as strongly demanded at the moment, the customer’s misconception of heavy cars having safety benefits has to be put into perspective.”
Further information: http://www.ika.rwth-aachen.de
Presentations compiled by the European Aluminium Association: auto@eaa.be
