Ford pioneered the use of aluminum bodies while it owned Jaguar, before selling it to Tata Motors in 2008. CEO Alan Mulally announced this month that lightweight aluminum has become “the material of choice” at Ford Motor Co. and eventually, the company will use it across its entire model lineup. Some aluminum industry advocates are saying that Ford’s new F-150 pickup, the first high-volume vehicle to be built with an all-aluminum body, is becoming the best news for a troubled metals industry since beer cans were converted from steel in the 1970’s. But some opponents are saying that “Superman Wasn’t Called the Man of Aluminum” …for a reason.
With 763,402 units sold in 2013…a huge number for just about any product in any industry…the reality is…that’s the number of F-150s that Ford sold in 2013 alone….and it’s actually 40 percent of the US truck market, capping off the 37th consecutive year as America’s best-selling truck. It’s also the 32nd year of holding the distinction as best-selling car of any kind in the US.
Like the 2015 Ford Mustang, the 2015 Ford F-150 has been redesigned to save weight…about 500-700 pounds worth. In fact, the F-150’s body is made almost entirely of aluminum. (Only a few, tiny panels are made of anything else.) Coupled with a new high tensile-strength steel frame, the massive weight savings accounts for over a 12 percent drop in weight compared to the 2014 F-150.
Aluminum bodies are hardly a new phenomenon, it’s the notion of placing them on a work horse type of vehicle like a pick up truck seems counter intuitive at best. Though the rust-free nature of aluminum is an obvious advantage, it’s the durability factor of aluminum that’s lower than steel…and more highly suspect.
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