An aluminum F-150: Tough enough?
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Ford wants to put the next-generation F-150 pickup on an aluminum diet, says The Wall Street Journal. The paper reported last week that Ford engineers plan to replace the F-150 in 2014 with a truck that has a largely aluminum body.
Quoting unnamed Ford executives, the Journal said Ford hopes to cut 700 pounds by using aluminum. Along with smaller, more fuel-efficient engines, that would help Ford meet federal fuel economy regulations.
But switching to aluminum could be risky. Pickup buyers value toughness, and steel has proved it can take punishment. Ford would have to convince buyers that aluminum measures up.
Also, aluminum costs more than steel and tears more easily than steel in the stamping presses used for body parts.
Ford declined to confirm the report, but it noted in a statement that the F-150 has had an aluminum hood since 2004 and added that the company "is constantly looking at multiple ways to improve our cars and trucks with innovative technology that improves fuel efficiency and capability."
