AISI TO PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE STEEL VEHICLE, A NEW GLOBAL STEEL
INDUSTRY RESEARCH INITIATIVE
DETROIT- The American
Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) announced that it will participate in
the fifth steel industry global research initiative to mitigate
automotive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The project, Future Steel
Vehicle, will develop steel auto body concepts that address alternative
powertrains, such as advanced hybrid, electric and fuel cell systems.
The goal of this research is to demonstrate safe, structurally efficient
steel bodies for future vehicles that reduce GHG emissions over the
entire vehicle life.
Future Steel Vehicle is a research initiative of the International
Iron and Steel Institute’s automotive group, WorldAutoSteel, which
has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Representing
AISI will be members of the Automotive Applications Committee (AAC),
which includes most of the automotive steel producers in North America.
A multi-million dollar, multi-year program, Future Steel Vehicle will
consist of three phases: Phase I, Engineering Study; Phase II, Concept
Designs; and Phase III, Demonstration Hardware.
WorldAutoSteel has commissioned the world’s largest independent
automotive engineering partner, EDAG Engineering + Design AG, which is
headquartered in Fulda, Germany, to complete the
first phase, engineering study. Development work will be based at
EDAG’s Auburn
Hills, Mich.
facility. Phase I will examine changes affected by new powertrain
systems that may radically alter the structure of automobiles and will
provide input for selection of Phase II design concepts. Phase I results
are expected in 2008 .
Future Steel Vehicle is the fifth in a series of auto
steel research projects. The previous four, representing more than $60
million in industry investment by the world’s sheet steel
producers, were undertaken over the last decade to demonstrate the
application of new steel grades, design techniques and manufacturing
technologies for light vehicle structures.
The UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB), UltraLight Steel Auto
Closures (ULSAC) and UltraLight Steel Auto Suspensions (ULSAS) projects
each demonstrated the successful use of advanced high-strength steel
(AHSS) in high-volume steel applications that significantly reduced
vehicle weight, while improving safety and performance and maintaining
manufacturing affordability.
A fourth project, ULSAB-Advanced Vehicle Concepts (ULSAB-AVC),
produced full vehicle concepts for a C-class and a mid-size vehicle.
Achievements included significantly improved energy efficiency through
lightweight AHSS applications.
“These previous research projects revolutionized the kinds of
steels normally applied to auto bodies and demonstrated innovative steel
vehicle designs," said Edward Opbroek, WorldAutoSteel director.
“The application of these research findings is seen globally in
many vehicles on the road today. We expect the Future Steel Vehicle
project to stimulate the same development in upcoming new vehicle
architecture.”
According to Ron Krupitzer, vice president of AISI’s AAC,
“Future Steel Vehicle comes at a critical time in the
United
States because our government is
working on legislation for reduced auto tailpipe emissions. One of the
challenges concerning automotive emissions regulation is to achieve the
intended control without creating unintended consequences.
“We certainly agree that improving fuel economy and reducing
emissions during the use phase of a vehicle is very important,”
said Krupitzer. “However, the use phase represents only part of
the total emissions associated with a vehicle throughout its life. A
more comprehensive evaluation can be achieved if all phases of a
vehicle’s life are considered – from materials production
through the end-of-life vehicle disposal. This is life cycle analysis or
life cycle assessment. LCA is often not sufficiently emphasized
when examining GHG emissions.”
A recent study conducted by Dr. Roland Geyer at the University of
California Santa
Barbara confirmed that while vehicles with
aluminum structures may have lower use phase emissions, there is no
scientific evidence that their life cycle emissions are any better than
vehicles with AHSS structures. Depending on the material chosen,
increased GHG emissions during the production and end-of-life phases of
a vehicle may offset reductions gained during a vehicle’s use
phase.
Regulations that consider only the vehicle use phase can encourage
use of low-density, GHG-intensive materials that provide somewhat
lighter weight components. However, this may have the unintended result
of increasing GHG emissions during the vehicle’s total life
cycle.
ISO standards require life cycle assessment, which accounts for the
combined GHG emissions from all phases of a product’s life. In
such an LCA methodology, the production of alternative materials like
aluminum, magnesium and plastics require much more energy and contribute
five to 20 times more GHG emissions per kilogram than steel.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the
public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace
as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role
in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking
technology. AISI is comprised of 31 member companies, including
integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 130 associate and
affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel
industry. AISI's member companies represent more than 75 percent
of both U.S. and North American steel
capacity.
The Automotive Applications Committee (AAC) is a
subcommittee of the Market Development Committee of AISI and focuses on
advancing the use of steel in the highly competitive automotive market.
With offices and staff located in Detroit, cooperation between the automobile and steel industries has
been key to its success. This industry cooperation resulted in the
formation of the Auto/Steel Partnership, a consortium of DaimlerChrysler
Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation and the
member companies of the AAC. For more news or information, view the
American Iron and Steel Institute /Automotive Applications Committee's
website at www.autosteel.org.
American Iron and Steel Institute/
Automotive Applications Committee:
AK Steel
Corporation
ArcelorMittal
Nucor
Corporation
Severstal North America Inc.
United
States Steel Corporation
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