Alcoa announced on Dec. 20 that it commends the U.S. Congress and the White House for approving new vehicle fuel efficiency standards incorporated in the energy bill. The new law requires 35 miles per gallon fuel average for new domestic vehicles, including SUVs, by 2020 -- a 40% increase from current corporate average fuel-economy (CAFE) standards.
"We are confident that the automotive industry will be able to meet or exceed these goals through the increased use of lightweight materials," said Kevin Kramer, president, Alcoa Wheel Products. For more than a century, aluminum has repeatedly proven its ability to reduce vehicle weight and increase gas mileage while enhancing passenger safety."
Since 1990, the increased use of automotive aluminum has avoided burning more than 22.2 billion gallons of fuel. Additionally, each pound of aluminum replacing two pounds of iron or steel in a car can save a net 20 pounds of CO2 emissions over the typical lifetime of a vehicle.
"Alcoa looks forward to collaborating with automobile manufacturers on a new generation of aluminum solutions to further reduce greenhouse gasses," said Kramer. Alcoa is a founding member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership and the Global Roundtable on Climate Change. Alcoa also has reduced its own greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% since 1990.
