The 2018 North American International Auto Show brought the biggest names in the auto industry together for a show and tell. (Source: News Atlas)

Continuing on what we saw during the past few years, the focus this year again was on improving safety, performance and design, all at the lightest weight possible for fuel economy. While there have been debates in the past about the best lightweight material, there was a clear winner at this year’s NAIAS. Almost every car, including the 2018 Car of the Year, was clad in advanced high-strength steel (AHHS) and significantly lighter than their predecessors.

Take a look at some of this year’s steel-clad cars.

SEE ALSO: 5 Reasons Why AHSS Tops the Market for Lightweight Auto Materials

2018 Car of the Year: Honda Accord

The 2018 Honda Accord took home the prestigious title of Car of the Year due to its lightweight and improved strength and performance. The 2018 model contains 29 percent ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) in its chassis and 54.2 percent high strength steel (HSS). With these applications, the Honda Accord achieved a weight reduction of 110 to 176 pounds while improving its body torsional rigidity by 32 percent and its bending rigidity by 24 percent.

2019 Chevy Silverado

The all-new Chevy Silverado comes armed with plenty of steel. One of the features that contribute to its improved safety is the bed floor made of roll-formed HSS. Also, 80 percent of its fully-boxed steel frame is made of HSS and AHSS forms the Silverado’s safety cage. Overall, the new model is taller and 7 inches wider than before. Nevertheless, the all-new Silverado is 450 pounds lighter with a 10 percent increase in torsional rigidity than the previous model.

2019 Dodge Ram 1500

The 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 is another steel-intensive vehicle revealed at NAIAS. About 98 percent of this year’s model is made from HSS, and is the lightest, longest and most efficient frame in the half-ton truck segment. The wheelbase and crew cab is 4 inches longer than the previous model. The Dodge Ram 1500 also has several new safety features. The unique front-splayed frame rail technology, frame-mounted HSS tire blockers and fully-boxed side rails allow the car to absorb more energy in case of impact and minimize structural damage.

2019 Kia Forte

The 2019 Kia Forte is taller, wider and longer than before with 54 percent of its chassis made of AHSS. It also has a 16 percent stiffer body-in-white and the new seat frames are lighter yet stronger as Kia has its eyes on top ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the second consecutive year. The lighter and stronger vehicle will consume about 9 to 20 percent less fuel as well as drop noise levels by 5 decibels.

Why the Steel Overload?

As mentioned above, the latest cars are steel-intensive and automakers increasing the amount of HSS, UHSS and AHSS in their mix of materials. Of course, the main reason for this is steel’s innate properties that make it the ideal solution for automakers looking to cut back on weight and still satisfy safety standards. However, automakers also learned a good lesson from automakers who chose another popular lightweight material – aluminum.

SEE ALSO: Materials Matter: Why Steel Beats Aluminum in the Sustainability Debate

Back in 2014, Ford released its F-150 with an all-aluminum body. The move was bold and the cars sold fast as it was a whole 700 pounds lighter than previous models. Consumers got to drive away with a drastically improved fuel economy, but it didn’t take long for them to realize the big, expensive problem with aluminum bodies: repairs.

The 2015 Ford F-150 has an all-aluminum body. (Source: Hennessey Performance)

Although steel and aluminum are similar in terms of its lightweight properties, aluminum reacts differently than steel under heat. Aluminum does not have metal memory, while steel does, making it hard to reshape and repair following an accident. Welding aluminum also takes much more skill and precision than steel, and there are few repair shops that are equipped to handle aluminum. As a result, drivers not only have a hard time finding repair shops for their aluminum cars, they have to pay a hefty price for repairs compared to repairs for steel cars. For example, Jalopnik reported one of the first cases of the F-150 repairs back in 2015 cost USD 17,000 and a month-long repair time.

Of course, this was a rare case highlighting the steep learning curve of repairing aluminum vehicles, but it also highlights the fact that steel is still the norm when it comes to automotive materials, and judging from the 2018 NAIAS, it’s going to stay that way for quite some time.

Cover photo courtesy of Honda of Lincoln.

Contrary to popular belief, mass reduction does not automatically equal fuel savings, especially when it comes to urban driving. There are other factors that determine the fuel efficiency of a vehicle such as driving cycle, vehicle size and its powertrain. Until recently, there was a  lack of variety in engine types and powertrains, so even though automakers reduced the weight of car frames, they could not apply a complementary engine or powertrain to the lighter parts.

So, have automakers been lightweighting for nothing?

Of course not, in the past decade alone, engines and powertrains have also become extremely efficient through advancements in start-stop-systems and downsizing, and newer options including hybrids, electric batteries and range extenders that now allow automakers to capitalize on their lightweight materials.

Although there are several lightweight materials, below are 5 reasons why AHSS continues to be the lightweight material of choice for automakers:

1. Decision Makers Care About the Environment

Well, not everyone, but many countries around the world have started the process to phase out gasoline and diesel-fueled cars, including India and China, the two largest automotive markets in the world. Governments are taking serious action against climate change and it will reflect in their policies. Automakers are choosing to lightweight their vehicles for lower emission rates with AHSS, because not only is AHSS lightweight, there are no trade-offs with other vital features such as safety and cost-effectiveness.

2. Everyone’s Going Electric

Globally, automakers are investing in electric vehicles (EVs) in line with national and international environmental policies. However, EVs still have a ways to go before they become the norm. EVs will face the same safety requirements as regular cars, but with the added responsibility of protecting the battery and its flammable components during a crash.

In 2016 there were several car accidents involving the Tesla Model S, where leaked battery fluids caused fires. Automakers need to find a solution to make EVs as safe, and eventually, safer than traditional cars. As an innovative automotive material, AHSS was built for safety.

3. Safety is Always First

Safety is and should always be the number one priority for automakers, material providers and policymakers alike. Even with all the hype about autonomous driving and sensors, there is very little chance that policymakers will reverse the stringent safety regulations in place today. People want to feel safe, no matter what type of car they are getting into.  

2016 Smart Fortwo and the Mercedes S Class take part in a crash test (Source: Green Car Reports)

One possible material solution is Complex Phase (CP) steel, a type of POSCO GIGA STEEL for the vehicle’s side panels, bumper rails and door impact bars- the parts that determine the safety ratings of the vehicle. It has superior strength and shock-absorbing qualities, without the added weight of traditional high-strength materials, and that’s why carmakers such as GM Korea, Ssangyong Motors and Renault Samsung Motors all use POSCO GIGA STEEL.

4. Cost is Always Second

This goes for automakers as well as drivers on the consuming end. Drivers want lower costs without compromising safety and performance ratings, and desire fuel efficiency- a major reason why automakers are lightweighting.

Some automakers choose alternative materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber to meet lightweight requirements to find that not only are the materials more costly over steel, factories need an equipment overhaul to work with them. Moreover, there are additional costs related to training employees to work with new materials, whereas all auto manufacturers are familiar with welding and forming steel.  

Take a look at this infographic and see how AHSS stacks up against other lightweight materials in terms of cost and performance.  

5. It’s Not Over Till It’s Over

No two lightweight materials are the same when observed under the life-cycle approach, a comprehensive life cycle assessment of a material’s automotive carbon emissions from production to disposal. Often times, the process of manufacturing lightweight materials and improved powertrains result in more carbon emissions than they are saving.

The life cycle assessment can be used to determine the carbon output of a vehicle. (Source: World Auto Steel)

At the end of the day, steel has the lowest production-related emissions and can be recycled at the end of its lifecycle. Steel remains the most recycled material because it can be reapplied in different forms almost infinitely.

Automakers are increasingly incorporating lightweight materials to their new models. Although competition for the greatest market share of lightweight materials is fierce, AHSS is by far the leading material when it comes to lightweight solutions. According to McKinsey & Company’s Lightweight, Heavy Impact report, the percentage of high-strength materials used for cars will increase to 38 percent by 2030, compared to 15 percent in 2010. Steel continues to evolve according to the changing demands of the auto market, and for now, there is no other multi-solution material that can compete.

Cover photo courtesy of Hyundai.

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