1. Aluminum’s Role in Meeting
First-Ever Heavy Truck Fuel
Economy Standards
Randall Scheps
Alcoa, Inc.
on behalf of
The Aluminum Association’s
Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG)

2. Defining Who We Are
The Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG)
www.aluminumintransportation.org

3. Many Challenges Facing the
Commercial Vehicle Industry Today
Transportation Energy Consumption
• Rising energy
Organisation for Economic Cooperation Non-OECD Countries costs
and Development (OECD) Countries
• Growing concern
over greenhouse
Quadrillion BTU
gas emissions
• Federal mandates
continue to add
weight to heavy-
duty vehicles
• First-ever fuel
efficiency
standards
Freight energy use increasing faster than passenger energy use
Source: International Energy Outlook 2010; U.S. EIA
www.aluminumintransportation.org

4. Federal Mandates Add Weight
New emissions technologies have reduced
fuel economy and increased weight
Fuel Economy Impact
Average Weight
Emissions Mandate of Emissions
Impact (lbs.)
Technologies
2002 EPA Engine Emissions +150 -8%
2007 EPA Engine Emissions +400 -3%
2010 EPA Engine Emissions (SCR) +300 +3%
TOTAL 850 lbs. -8%
www.aluminumintransportation.org

5. Landmark Fuel Standards for Trucks
• First-ever fuel economy and
greenhouse gas emissions
regulations for medium- and
heavy-duty trucks built from
2014 to 2018
• The rule aims to:
– Reduce annual oil consumption by
530 million barrels
– Cut annual greenhouse gas
emissions by about 270 million
metric tons
www.aluminumintransportation.org

6. Aluminum’s Potential Recognized
by Regulators
• The EPA and NHTSA
evaluated materials for the
greatest mass reduction
opportunities
– Aluminum
– High-strength steel
– Composites
• Aluminum ranked far above
the others
– “Greatest potential” to safely
reduce vehicle weight while
boosting fuel economy and
cutting emissions
www.aluminumintransportation.org

7. 2010 Industry Sponsored Study on
Lightweighting and Freight Efficiency
• Objective
– Quantify fuel economy impact of weight reduction with aluminum specific to U.S. drive cycles
• Methodology
– Analytical simulation (Ricardo)
• U.S. drive cycle simulations
– EPA HWFET
– WVU Interstate
– HUDDS
• Load conditions
– Un-loaded, ½ GVW Load, GVW
• Engine and transmission
Photo Credit: East Manufacturing
– Displacement: 13-liter, diesel
– 10-speed automated manual transmission (AMT)
• Vehicle specifications
– Frontal area: 10.68 m2
– Coefficient of drag (Cd): .60 (baseline)
www.aluminumintransportation.org
Source: Ricardo

8. Vehicle Configurations Studied
Tractor &
Tractor % Weight Trailer % Weight % Weight
Trailer
(lbs.) Saved (lbs.) Saved Saved
(lbs.)
Conventional (baseline) 16,000 13,500 29,500
“Traditional” Lightweighting 15,500 3.1% 12,500 7.4% 28,000 5.1% (1,500 lb)
“High” Aluminum Content 14,500 9.4% 11,700 13.3% 26,200 11.2% (3,300 lb)
Cab rear wall Rear door
Cab roof RR door surround
save 49 lbs. save 187 lbs.
save 60 lbs. save 150 lbs.
Save 20 lbs.
per door Side Wall
Save 1,000 lbs.
Cab floor
save 56 lbs.
Landing gear
save 50 lbs.
Slider box
save 150 lbs.
Frame rails Cab X-member Save 30 lbs. per
save 435 lbs. save 38 lbs. wheel
Source: Ricardo www.aluminumintransportation.org

9. Payload Configurations Studied
Vehicle Tractor Mass Trailer Mass Payload Total (lbs.)
Configuration (lbs.) (lbs.) (lbs.)
50,500 80,000 GVW
Conventional
16,000 13,500
(baseline)
52,000 80,000 GVW
“Traditional”
15,500 12,500
Lightweighting
6.5% more payload
53,800 80,0006.5% fewer trips
 GVW
“High”
Aluminum 14,500 11,700
Content
www.aluminumintransportation.org
Source: Ricardo

10. Payload Configurations Studied
Vehicle Tractor Mass Trailer Mass Payload Total (lbs.)
Configuration (lbs.) (lbs.) (lbs.)
50,500 80,000 GVW
Conventional 25,250 54,750 half load
16,000 13,500
(baseline)
0 29,500 unloaded
52,000 80,000 GVW
“Traditional” 25,250 53,250 half load
15,500 12,500
Lightweighting
0 28,000 unloaded
53,800 80,000 GVW
“High”
Aluminum 14,500 11,700 25,250 51,450 half load
Content 11.2% mass
0 26,200 unloaded
saved
www.aluminumintransportation.org
Source: Ricardo

11. U.S. Drive Cycles Simulated Via
Physics-Based Model
 Highway Fuel Economy Test  Heavy-Duty Urban  West Virginia University
(HWFET) Dynamometer Drive Schedule Interstate Drive Cycle
– One of EPA’s official highway (HUDDS) (WVUIDC)
cycles – One of EPA’s drive cycles for – Simulates interstate operation
– Duty cycle designed for heavy-duty vehicles – Speeds vary from medium to
medium to high speed – Several idle and start-stop high, many moderate
operation, no mid-cycle stops positions acceleration events
– Many acceleration and
deceleration events
Source: Ricardo www.aluminumintransportation.org

12. Weight Savings Increases
Fuel Economy for All Drive Cycles
Transient Drive Cycles
HWFET
13.00
HUDDS
WVUIDC
11.00
Fuel Economy (mpg)
9.00
7.00
5.00
3.00
GVW
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 Unloaded
60000
Weight Reduction (lbs)
Source: Ricardo www.aluminumintransportation.org

13. Weight Reduction and Aerodynamic
Improvements are Complimentary
HWFET
12.00
0.45 • Weight savings has
11.00 0.5 greater impact at
0.55
10.00
lower drag coefficient
0.6
0.65
9.00
Fuel Economy (mpg)
• 3,000 lb. reduction
8.00 equivalent to 0.05 Cd
7.00 improvement
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
GVW
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 Unloaded
60000
Weight Reduction (lbs)
“High” Aluminum Content Truck
Source: Ricardo www.aluminumintransportation.org

14. Aluminum Impacts
Fleet Freight Efficiency
“High” Aluminum Content – 3,300 lb. Weight Reduction
Payload Fuel Efficiency
% Annual Miles*
(% GVW) Improvement
0 – 25 % 10 % 4.1 %
25 – 75 % 25 % 3.7 %
6.5% more
75 – 100 % 65 % 6.5 % payload /
fewer trips
Fleet Average = 5.7 %
* Average results from Aluminum Association Heavy-Duty Truck Use Survey
Source: Aluminum Association www.aluminumintransportation.org

15. Weight Reduction Technology List in
New Heavy Truck Fuel Economy Rule
• OEMs are able to
Primary overachieve in
Weight the weight
Reduction
Options reduction
category beyond
the 400lb
baseline
• Weight reduction
is manually
Secondary calculated by
Weight
Reduction
OEM from the list
Options and inputted into
GEM
www.aluminumintransportation.org

16. Forged Aluminum Wheels
18 Steel Wheel/Tires = 3,420 lbs 10 Forged Alu Wheels/Tires = 2,170 lbs
18Steel Wheel/Tires
=2,000lbs Weight Reduction
1,250lbs per
tractor/trailer
www.aluminumintransportation.org 1

17. Cross Members
• 42% weight savings 8.27
vs steel (4lbs - kg 3.33 kg
38lbs per
crossmember)
• 7 Cross members
per truck
Aluminum Cross Member 2.46 kg
• 101 lbs per truck
saved vs. steel Total Weight: 19.85 kg
www.aluminumintransportation.org

18. Fifth Wheel
• 100lbs weight saved
per truck
• Forged aluminum
construction
• 150,000 lbs drawbar
load
Aluminum Fifth Wheel
www.aluminumintransportation.org

19. Frame Rails
Roll Formed Frame Rails
• Aluminum frame rails = 462 lbs
• 47% weight save per truck (440lbs)
www.aluminumintransportation.org

20. Spaceframe Body
• Aluminum extrusion
based upper structure
• Bolted or welded
• 40% weight save vs. steel
(2200 lbs bus / 250-300
lbs typical truck cab)
• 10% improved range on
full-electric powered
version
Full aluminum bus body – China & Brazil
• Converting chassis would
save another 1100 lbs
www.aluminumintransportation.org

21. Aluminum is Part of the Solution
• More payload
– Carry 3,300 lbs or 6.5% more cargo
at GVW
• Improved fuel efficiency
– As high as 1,612 gallons each year
for a weight constrained vehicle
• Nearly one billion gallons of diesel
annually for the current U.S. fleet
• Reduced CO2 emissions
– Up to 17.9 tons annually for a weight
constrained vehicle
• Approximately 10 million tons of CO2 per
year for the current U.S. fleet
www.aluminumintransportation.org

22. Thank You
Contact Us
For additional aluminum research in the areas of safety, cost,
alternative powertrains, growth and sustainability, to sign-up for the
ATG’s monthly newsletter and/or download this presentation,
please visit us online at www.aluminumintransportation.org or
e-mail atginfo@aluminum.org