Why aren't lightweight materials, such as aluminium, achieving the massive fuel efficiencies that are touted in the industry today? Roland Wohlecker, fka, aachen, germany, explains the topic of a paper submitted to the Society of Automotive Engineers that illustrates the real potential for making lighter weight vehicles, when comparing aluminium with the new advanced high-strength steels.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI , Aug 12, 2008 - In a presentation titled “Steel and Fuel Economy,” Ron Krupitzer, vice president automotive applications for AISI, discussed innovative ways steel can help the automotive industry to meet new environmental requirements for fuel economy, emissions and recyclability.

In a report entitled "Mass Reduction Potential Study, conducted by Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen (fka), an automotive engineering services company associated with Aachen University in Germany, the mass reduction claims made by the steel and aluminium industries were investigated . The study reveals that some popular mass reduction claims are not clear cut cases.