Are we there yet?” is an age-old question that back-seat passengers have been asking for decades. Automotive engineers on the lightweighting journey are faced with a similar quandary.
Today, cars and trucks use more lightweight materials than ever in various body, chassis, interior and power train applications. While much of the low-hanging fruit has already been picked, engineers are scrambling to find new opportunities, while also addressing age-old cost, performance and safety concerns.