TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- There is peace, for now, among the steel, aluminum and plastics supplier industries.
Members of those vehicle material segments have argued that each has the potential to replace the others.
But during a panel discussion Tuesday at the 2019 CAR Management Briefing Seminars, representatives took a more conciliatory tone than in previous years.
Each agreed that a mixed-materials approach that uses the most appropriate material in strategic areas of vehicle bodies is the best way for automakers to produce safe, strong, lighter-weight vehicles that are cost effective.
"All materials will be significant players," said Mario Greco, chairman of the aluminum transportation group of the Aluminum Association, a trade group. He said manufacturers will develop new types of architectures for electric and autonomous vehicles that will require different materials to optimize weight and safety, enabling designers to create interiors that deliver a different user experience than today's vehicles.
General Motors uses a combination of steel, aluminum, magnesium and other lightweight materials on vehicles such as the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.
If anything, the aluminum industry is somewhat humbled. Predictions five years ago about the number of vehicles that would convert to full aluminum bodies — following the Ford F-150 — didn't come to fruition.
A survey conducted by the Center for Automotive Research asked nine automakers about materials on future vehicles. Aluminum is the overwhelming choice for closures, doors, tailgates, trunks and hoods, they said.
"Aluminum has been the fastest growing metal in body structures; it has taken over for steel where it has been right to do so," Greco said. But a complete switch to aluminum means most automakers also have to install a new manufacturing system, as Ford did in the plants that build the F-series pickups.
"It's a decision that goes beyond individual vehicles to strategy," Greco said. "Ford was very strategic and based its decision on volume and regulatory strategy."
For its part, the steel industry has rebounded against aluminum's strong push by developing new generations of ultra-high-strength steel that is cost effective compared with lighter materials.
