Study Confirms Fuel, Payload Savings with Aluminum

The study, conducted by Ricardo Inc., was commissioned by the Aluminum Association Inc.’s Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG) to analyze the fuel-efficiency impact of lightweighting Class 8 trucks and trailers. The study simulated different configurations of vehicles and payload conditions (i.e. unloaded, gross vehicle weight [GVW] and half-GVW load) for the major drive cycles representing commercial transportation in the United States.

 

Based on the findings, aluminum could yield annual savings of fuel and emissions in Class 8 trucks and trailers as high as 1,612 gallons and 17.9 tons of CO₂. When considering these results for the total U.S. fleet, about 2 million vehicles, the overall economic and environmental impact of weight savings may be 1 billion gallons of diesel and 10 million tons of CO₂ per year, the Aluminum Association speculates in a press release.

 

Today, the average Class 8 vehicle uses more than 1,000 pounds of aluminum. However, the study indicates that by reducing overall vehicle weight with aluminum, transporters can load vehicles with an additional 6.5 percent of payload at GVW, the Aluminum Association states. This equates to an “effective” fuel and emissions savings of 6.5 percent for equivalent average ton-mile freight efficiency.

 

“With many challenges facing the commercial vehicle industry, including fuel and operating costs, greenhouse gas emissions and federal mandates that add weight to vehicles, high-strength, yet low-weight aluminum offers cost-effective, real-world solutions available today,” says Randall Scheps, chairman of the Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group and Alcoa’s director of ground transportation.

 

The study also analyzed the combination of weight savings and aerodynamic drag reduction. When combining the weight reduction potential available with an 8 percent improvement in aerodynamic drag, the overall fuel economy improvement for an aluminum-intense vehicle relative to the conventional vehicle was as high as 8.2 percent.

 

“Opting for advanced aluminum solutions over traditional steel applications in Class 8 trucks and trailer construction creates opportunities for the industry to increase fuel efficiency and payload capacity, decrease operating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The return on investment for switching to more advanced materials like aluminum is even higher when lightweighting is combined with other improvements like aerodynamics, engine optimization and low rolling resistance,” Scheps adds.