According to a recent survey of US carmakers undertaken by analyst Ducker Worldwide, aluminium content in cars in North America is to grow from the 180kg (397 pounds) used per vehicle in 2015 to 256kg (565 pounds) per vehicle by 2028. This represents 16% of total vehicle weight, and nearly 25% of vehicles will feature a partial aluminium body-in-white (BIW). 

Furthermore, the increase of hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to lead to a significant increase in the use of aluminium, due to the weight of the high-density lithium-ion batteries and need for protection in the event of a crash. Analysts at consultancy CRU predict that global sales of battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and hybrid electric (HEV) vehicles will reach 42m units by 2030, accounting for approximately 30% of the global fleet. In 2017, these vehicles made up just 4%. 

CRU research manager Eoin Dinsmore says the use of primary aluminium extrusions and rolled products in these vehicles will be some 25-27% higher than is seen in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles today. Indeed, by 2030, demand for aluminium for electric vehicles (EVs) will near 10m tonnes, a ten-fold increase compared with 2017.  

The increase in the usage of aluminium in ICE vehicles has been driven by the needs of carmakers to reduce the weight of their vehicles, and similar factors will play a part in EVs…