Aluminium bodied cars won all the highlights in the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The aluminium-intensive 2018 Lincoln Navigator won Truck of the Year and the 2018 Honda Accord was named Car of the Year in the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) Awards, announced on Monday, Jan 15.
For the second consecutive year, an aluminium-intensive vehicle has won a NACTOY award, reinforcing the relevance of using aluminium in cars and truck for better performance, safety, fuel efficiency, durability, towing capability, sustainability and carbon neutrality. Chrysler Pacifica was named North American Car Utility Vehicle of the Year in 2017.
Commenting on the awards, Heidi Brock, President & CEO of the Aluminum Association said, “It’s no wonder Car and Truck of the Year winners innovate with aluminium. From performance, safety and durability, to fuel economy, battery range and emissions, aluminium delivers in every category consumers demand in new cars and trucks. That’s why recent surveys of automakers confirm aluminium is the fastest growing material, leading the multi-material trend. It’s also why the U.S. aluminium industry invested more than 2.3 billion dollars in domestic automotive capacity and we’re poised to invest further as our customers continue to innovate with aluminium in next generation automobiles.”
The 2018 Navigator with an all-aluminium body has helped the vehicle shed nearly 200 pounds of weight. The 2018 Honda Accord features a new aluminium-intensive chassis, control arms and sub-frame and the use of aluminium has helped reduce about 110 to 176 pounds of overall weight in the car.
The NACTOY Awards has been recognizing the most outstanding new vehicles of the year for more than 24 years.
Other finalists in the award include2018 Ford Expedition with a 9,300-pound towing capacity and a new aluminium body that drops 300 pounds and features the best fuel economy in its class. 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio, with an aluminium-intensive architecture and 2018 Honda Odyssey, which has shed 96 pounds through a combination of materials including aluminium, are two other finalists.
2018 Toyota Camry with an aluminium hood, Kia Niro with aluminium hood, tailgate, assorted suspension components, 2018 Lexus LC500 featuring an aluminium hood, shock towers and outer doors, 2018 Hyundai Ionic with an aluminium hood and tailgate and 2018 Audi A5 Sportback with a steel and aluminium body are other finalists in this Award.
A recent study by Ducker Worldwide study has already reported some significant data on the growing use of aluminium by automakers in car components, especially in BiW materials.
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