By Adam JonesUniversity of Alabama
As cars have gotten sleeker and lighter over the decades, nostalgia about cars of yesteryear often romanticize their sturdiness – huge boxes of steel ready to take on any impact. It is a memory often not rooted in the reality of the safety of today’s vehicles.
“People have dismissed the idea of lighter cars for decades because you feel safer in a big, heavy car, but that’s not always the case. If I can make something out of a stronger steel, I can use less steel,” said Dr. Luke Brewer, an engineering researcher at the University of Alabama. “It’s all about saving weight while maintaining crash worthiness.”
Since humans began smelting iron and carbon in antiquity, steel has continuously become stronger. A new class of steel, known as advanced or ultra-high-strength steels, is emerging in auto manufacturing.The stronger the steel, the less is needed. The less steel, the less weight. The less weight, the less the engine has to work to move the car. The less the engine works, the less fuel needed. And, voila, an improvement in fuel economy, something governments require to lessen emissions and consumers desire to cut operating costs.
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