Automotive

The Advantages of Aluminum in Automobiles

The Advantages of Aluminum in Automobiles
Aluminum has fast become a rising star in the automotive industry, thanks to its incredible benefits. Here are the advantages of aluminum in automobiles.

The automotive industry has been utilizing aluminum more and more to improve their cars instead of steel or other materials. Why is this? The advantages of aluminum in automobiles are numerous, so let’s go into detail about some of the more prominent advantages that have made aluminum extrusions prominent in the automotive industry.

Better Gas Mileage

The benefit that’s most tangible to drivers is how much money they save on gas. Aluminum is unique because it’s an incredibly strong metal and is also surprisingly lightweight. As a result, modern automobiles have become much more fuel efficient because the engine doesn’t have to work as hard. The same goes for trucks transporting the aluminum—because the cargo isn’t nearly as heavy, it doesn’t take as much fuel to achieve the same speeds.

The widespread use of aluminum in cars has only made them friendlier to drivers on a budget, and given how car-centric the US is in terms of commuting, this is beneficial for everyone.

Improved Safety

A similar advantage of aluminum in automobiles is that they’re much safer since aluminum is lighter. Lighter cars are easier to control and are more responsive to braking and steering because they don’t have so much weight on which inertia acts. In contrast, lots of classic and vintage cars entirely consist of steel and handle like giant bricks on wheels. Furthermore, aluminum absorbs shocks far better than steel can. So in a worst-case scenario, your aluminum car frame will better protect its occupants than a steel one.

Eco-Friendliness

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, aluminum is vastly more friendly to the environment. Unlike steel and other metals, aluminum is one of the rare materials that people can recycle over and over again without diminishing its integrity. If you ever get rid of an old car, you don’t have to worry that it’ll end up stripped of parts and left to rust in a junkyard. Aluminum will always be a highly coveted material and undergo recycling to fulfill a new purpose. Furthermore, recycling aluminum requires far fewer resources and energy than creating new materials from scratch.

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