The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is the perfect example of a vehicle lightened by an expansive use of the lightweight material, aluminum.
There is little question about the high use of lightweight materials in the manufacturing of hybrid cars and trucks. Statistics show that when a vehicle’s weight is cut by 10 percent, fuel economy can improve by as much as 8 percent. The staple of hybrid cars is their fuel economy.
The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is the perfect example of a vehicle boasting a weight savings as a result of an expansive use of a lightweight material - aluminum. This material was chosen for the hood, tailgate, drive shafts, wheels and bumper structures. Use of aluminum allowed General Motors to shave nearly four-hundred pounds from the body of the hybrid over the conventional Tahoe, an amount significant enough to allow for carting of the hybrid’s 300 volt battery pack and two-mode drive system without increasing the weight of the finished hybrid product over that of the gas version Tahoe.
I think it is safe to say that we will be seeing much more use of aluminum in hybrid car manufacturing. Vehicles lightened with aluminum can achieve quicker acceleration and braking. Additionally, there is a notable increase in stability and turning response, as well as less vehicle noise, vibration and harshness.
For the manufacturers of hybrid cars and trucks, aluminum use makes good sense. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), aluminum weighs about one-third as much as steel or copper; is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and cast; and has excellent corrosion resistance and durability. It’s use improves safety for occupants; performance, drivability and longevity of cars; and is easier on the environment.
Best of all , aluminum is not in short supply. The USGS says aluminum is the second most abundant metallic element in the Earth’s crust after silicon. Its use in auto manufacturing has tripled since 1991. Hybrid car manufacturers will continue to use this lightweight material in spades, and consumers and the planet will be all the better for it.
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