Ford made big headlines when it announced the new aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150, but before we get our hopes up for an aluminum-skinned Mustang, Ford just said there are no plans for it.
Ford made big headlines when it announced the new aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150, but before we get our hopes up for an aluminum-skinned Mustang, Ford just said there are no plans for it. Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas recently stated that Ford has no plans to use aluminum beyond its truck lineup because there are more cost-effective ways to improve the fuel economy of its cars.
“One of the big benefits you get from lightweighting on trucks is you give customers more capability that they want. You can tow more, you can haul more, you can do more of those things by taking the weight out,” Hinrichs stated. “You don’t get those same benefits to a consumer on a car side. So truck buyers will pay for more capability. Car buyers will pay for better fuel economy, but there’s other ways to get fuel economy in a car.”
Related: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor debuts with 10-Speed transmission
For now the only aluminum parts on cars will be limited to hoods and possibly the doors. Other ways that Ford can lower the weight of a car is shown with the Mustang Shelby GT 350R that was unveiled earlier this week. Ford was able to drop 52 pounds by giving it carbon-fiber wheels and another 70 pounds by deleting the air conditioning, rear seats and stereo system.
Source: Automotive News
