Percentages of Aluminium And Steel

The new tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) imports imposed by President Trump will soon effect new vehicle prices. As reported in the April 2018 issue of industry publication Today's Motor Vehicles, the two metals make up nearly two-thirds of the weight of a new vehicle.

Here is a breakdown of where it all goes:

ALUMINUM
Wheels -- 65 lbs. per vehicle
Transfer Cases -- 58 lbs.
Engine Blocks -- 45 lbs.
Engine Heads -- 48 lbs.
Closures (door panels, liftgates, hoods) -- 22 lbs (expected to increase to 60 lbs. by 2020)

STEEL
Body Structures (frames, closures) -- 675 lbs.
Drivetrain (engine, block, transmission, drive shaft) -- 456 lbs.
Suspension -- 238 lbs.

Presently, about 47% of the cost of a new vehicle comes from the cost of materials (www.statista.com) -- with about 10% of the total curb weight coming from aluminum and 55% from steel.

Automakers are currently redesigning vehicles to continue to lower weights. An estimated average of 100 lbs. is expected to be removed from each vehicle during the next couple of years. Many of the cuts (up to 57%) will come from an increase in the use of aluminum, while others (up to 40%) are expected to come from the swapping of mild steel for high strength alloys.