The material of choice for new mobility: does steel stand a chance? | Automotive World

Automakers are scrambling to reduce vehicle weight in the quest for more sustainable mobility, greater fuel efficiency or longer battery range, as well as improved handling and dynamics. On average, about 57% of a modern car’s weight comes from steel. Any lightweighting advances on this front could have a significant impact on overall vehicle weight.

Technology advances

Press hardening steel (PHS) technology is one of the more significant innovations to have emerged over the past decade. In fact, suggests Jérôme Favero, Head of Automotive Steel Solutions at ArcelorMittal, it continues to evolve: “PHS is still reinventing itself thanks to new products like Usibor 2000 or Ductibor 1000 bringing higher mechanical properties to achieve better anti-intrusion performance in a car in the event of a crash. It also offers more ductility to better absorb the energy of a collision thanks to predictable and well mastered local deformations.”