Expect Ford’s next-generation F-Series fullsize pickup to feature aluminum body panels as the auto maker races to comply with increasingly stringent fuel-economy standards.
The next-generation version of America’s best-selling vehicle, dubbed P552 and due in 2014, will feature extensive use of weight-saving aluminum, including doors and fenders, according to two independent sources.
“We know our customers, and it’s all about the truck being a tool and they want it to be more productive and more efficient,” says Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager. “So we have to keep moving the needle if we want to be king of hill. We’re always looking at all the ways of doing that going forward and we have a great strategy.”
F-Series hoods have been crafted from aluminum, but not production-model body panels. The new-for-’11 Ford Explorer also features an aluminum hood.
Weight reduction is a key enabler to meet the stricter fuel-economy regulations. Auto makers worldwide “are knocking on doors, looking to figure out ways to light-weight vehicles in a safe, efficient and effective way,” says Kevin Lowery, spokesman for leading aluminum supplier Alcoa.
Cost-savings are derived from the weight-savings. “When vehicles weigh less you may need a smaller engine, or the brakes you need are going to be different, and that goes throughout the entire vehicle,” he says.
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