New steel should help automakers lighten up

A car body made of ultra-light steel

In this story:

• Lighter, more fuel-efficient cars
• An environmental payoff, too
• Related sites and stories

March 9, 1998
Web posted at: 5:39 p.m. EST (2239 GMT)

From Detroit Bureau Chief Ed Garsten

DETROIT (CNN) -- Automakers believe they have found a new component that's going to help them make lighter, more fuel-efficient cars.

It is an ultra-light steel referred to in the steel industry as ULSAB.

"I'm here to tell you that from this day forward, the words 'light-weight' and 'steel' can be used in the same sentence," says Robert Darnall, chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Automakers have been searching for ways to lighten the weight of their cars with an eye to meeting the U.S. government's goal of a vehicle that can go 80 miles on a gallon of gas.

One of the problems has been that cars and trucks are primarily made of steel, and steel is relatively heavy. A mid-sized sedan using standard steel weighs about 3,300 pounds.

A consortium of 35 steel companies around the world created the new steel that they think will drop the weight of that sedan below 3,000 pounds. And they say the car will be every bit as safe as its heavier counterparts.

"Computer-simulated crash performance of body structure predicts that a car with this structure would pass the 35 mile-per-hour frontal tests and a number of other tests," Darnall said.

Cars made from the new steel have not yet been tested for gas mileage, but the industry predicts there will be a significant improvement.

An environmental payoff, too

Reducing tailpipe emissions is one possible result of the ultra-light steel project

And because building cars from ultra-light steel would mean using 2 million tons less a year, there would also be an environmental payoff.

"This reduction in steel needs will result in not only less water and air emissions from steel manufacturing facilities, but they will also help the auto industry achieve goals of reducing tailpipe emissions," says Fran McPoland of the Environmental Protection Agency.( 141K/12 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Along with aluminum, plastic and composite materials for other components, ultra-light steel is expected to be a key as automakers create a new generation of cars that will be a far cry from your father's Oldsmobile.

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• American Iron and Steel Institute
• The UltraLight Steel AutoBody (ULSAB) Web Site
• United States Environmental Protection Agency

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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