Lightweighting is a concept in the

auto industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such ...

about building cars and trucks that are less heavy as a way to achieve better

fuel efficiency Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device ...

and handling. JIM MOTAVALLI, OCT. 11, 2012, The New York Times
For Lightweight Cars, a Materials Race
Retrieved April 11, 2015, "...carmakers and the federal government are pouring resources into “lightweighting” auto platforms to meet the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards...." Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY, June 3, 2014
Ford shows off lightweight car concept
Retrieved April 11, 2015, "..."Lightweighting our vehicles is incredibly important to us in terms of improving fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions,"..." Carmakers make parts from carbon fiber, windshields from plastic, and bumpers out of aluminum foam, as ways to lessen vehicle load. Dee-Ann Durbin of the Associated Press, June 17, 2014, Mercury News
Auto industry gets serious about lighter materials
Retrieved April 11, 2015, "...Automakers have been experimenting for decades with lightweighting, as the practice is known, but the effort is gaining urgency with the adoption of tougher gas mileage standards. ..." Replacing car parts with lighter materials does not lessen overall safety for drivers, according to one view, since many plastics have a high strength-to-weight ratio. The search to replace car parts with lighter ones is not limited to any one type of part; according to a spokesman for

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

, engineers strive for lightweighting "anywhere we can." NEAL E. BOUDETTE and MIKE RAMSEY, Jan. 14, 2013, Wall Street Journal
Detroit Sheds Pounds for Gas-Mileage Gains
Retrieved April 11, 2015, "...Today, we look at lightweighting anywhere we can," said ... of Ford...." Using lightweight materials such as

plastics Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptabi ...

can mean less strain on the engine and better gas mileage as well as improved handling. May 2, 2013, Chicago Tribune
Improving automobile fuel efficiency - with plastics
Retrieved April 11, 2015, "...Due to their positive strength-to-weight ratio, plastics make up an astonishing 50 percent of today’s cars by volume, but only 10 percent by weight. This “lightweighting” results in less strain on the engine and improved gas mileage...." One material sometimes used to reduce weight is

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

. Daniel C. Esty, March 4, 2007, Washington Post
When Being Green Puts You in the Black
Retrieved April 11, 2015, "...Toyota reported record profits last year because it put these issues at the center of its design strategy, which includes hybrid engines, "lightweighting" of its vehicles through the use of carbon fiber and other advanced materials, .." The auto industry has used the term for many years, as the effort to keep making cars lighter is ongoing. Another common material used for lightweighting is

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

. Incorporating aluminum has grown continuously to not only meet

CAFE A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-c ...

standards, but to also improve automotive performance. A vehicle with lower weight has better acceleration, braking and handling. In addition, lighter vehicles can tow and haul larger loads because the engine is not carrying unnecessary weight. A light weighting magazine finds: "Even though aluminum is light, it does not sacrifice strength. Aluminum body structure is equal in strength to steel and can absorb twice as much crash-induced energy."

References

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