GM planning aluminum pickup trucks

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/02/gm-planning-aluminum-body-pickup-trucks.html

GM might be the next company to field an aluminum body pickup truck.

Ford revealed its massive gamble during the Detroit Auto Show last month, claiming to have zapped 700 lbs from the curb weight. The news of an aluminum F-150 – the best-selling truck in the U.S. – triggered a rush for aluminum supplies. According to the Wall Street Journal, General Motors is working on building an aluminum body for the next generation of Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra due in 2018.

The Detroit auto maker recently secured contracts with aluminum suppliers Novelis and Alcoa.

If GM goes ahead with building aluminum-bodied trucks, it could have an advantage in production over Ford. The F-150 body panels are riveted and bonded, but GM would likely weld the panels together using the same process already in place for smaller panels on other General Motors products. That process would reduce the material required and ostensibly the curb weight. It would also be a faster production process than what Ford is using.

I don't have anything to add except "wow!" and your post was extremely informative as to why GM could benefit from this. Note that the new colorado (rated to tow 6700lbs) weighs 4500lbs. Could we see 500lbs removed from it with this technology? That would be awesome! And a new crew cab gm is around 5500lbs iirc, while my 1993 ext cab 4x4 is 4500lbs. Would be awesome to get the weights down!

time to buy stock in alcoa

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: time to buy stock in alcoa

bingo

yay! that leaves more in the mass budget for even more heated/cooled cup holders and tv screens built into more surfaces.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: time to buy stock in alcoa

And Progressive, Geico, Nationwide, Allstate....

Insurance rates are going to skyrocket on those. That little ding that would have cost $150 to fix will now cost $500

The insurance on my F150 was a little higher than a similar chevy I had just sold. The agent said it was the aluminum hood. My liability went down a bit, but with the collision and comp it was significantly higher.

curtis73 wrote: And Progressive, Geico, Nationwide, Allstate.... Insurance rates are going to skyrocket on those. That little ding that would have cost $150 to fix will now cost $500 The insurance on my F150 was a little higher than a similar chevy I had just sold. The agent said it was the aluminum hood. My liability went down a bit, but with the collision and comp it was significantly higher.

At the risk of being cynical I'm sure that rise in price has nothing to do with seeing an excuse to up the rates for any flimsy reason. With the aluminum parts being mass produced at a monstrous level I'm wondering if the parts cost will really be that much higher.

I'm glad to see this. Cars have been doing this for years and this should actually accelerate the use of lightweight material on all models.

Xceler8x wrote:

curtis73 wrote: And Progressive, Geico, Nationwide, Allstate.... Insurance rates are going to skyrocket on those. That little ding that would have cost $150 to fix will now cost $500 The insurance on my F150 was a little higher than a similar chevy I had just sold. The agent said it was the aluminum hood. My liability went down a bit, but with the collision and comp it was significantly higher.

At the risk of being cynical I'm sure that rise in price has nothing to do with seeing an excuse to up the rates for any flimsy reason. With the aluminum parts being mass produced at a monstrous level I'm wondering if the parts cost will really be that much higher. I'm glad to see this. Cars have been doing this for years and this should actually accelerate the use of lightweight material on all models.

Honda has been using aluminum hoods for years now. Their price is comparable to their much heavier steel ones.

In reply to Xceler8x:

I think the point curtis is making is mainly that aluminum panels cannot be "straightened" as easily as steel.

Also, in that regard ford's bonded/rivet process is probably going to be easier to repair than gm's "We welded the whole damn thing" process.

fasted58 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: time to buy stock in alcoa

bingo

I thought Aloca went bankrupt. I guess not

I hope the designers are making sure the aluminum parts can’t easily be removed. Otherwise, a lot of folks will wind up with this:

Xceler8x wrote:

curtis73 wrote: And Progressive, Geico, Nationwide, Allstate.... Insurance rates are going to skyrocket on those. That little ding that would have cost $150 to fix will now cost $500 The insurance on my F150 was a little higher than a similar chevy I had just sold. The agent said it was the aluminum hood. My liability went down a bit, but with the collision and comp it was significantly higher.

At the risk of being cynical I'm sure that rise in price has nothing to do with seeing an excuse to up the rates for any flimsy reason.

Or it could be actuarially sound rate increases due to aluminum being harder to repair than steel.

the insurance on my disco is not that much.. and most of it's body is aluminum (at least the outer shell is)

fasted58 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: time to buy stock in alcoa

bingo

Too late, the rush for that was over somewhere between the start of insider trading and the first 10 seconds of news of an aluminum F150 being public.

mad_machine wrote: the insurance on my disco is not that much.. and most of it's body is aluminum (at least the outer shell is)

How old is the disco and how is the aluminum body holding up?

You should have taken stock in the companies that sell tools for working on aluminum. Every Ford dealer with a body shop or service bay needs to invest in some new equipment, and Ford is helping defray the costs a bit. Someone made some money on that deal. (and it wasn't me)

I do have an idea for opening a body shop that only deals with Aluminum. Not feasible in the past because only Audi and a few specialty cars were aluminum, but with the F-150 and Silverado joining in, it could be a growth business!

GameboyRMH wrote:

fasted58 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: time to buy stock in alcoa

bingo

Too late, the rush for that was over somewhere between the start of insider trading and the first 10 seconds of news of an aluminum F150 being public.

nope. In the past 3 months AA has gained 10% or about a buck. Still less than it's 52 week high. I wouldn't expect rocketship growth, but good solid growth as more people move to lighter platforms..

FBC rating of Outperform.

RX Reven' wrote: I hope the designers are making sure the aluminum parts can’t easily be removed. Otherwise, a lot of folks will wind up with this:

That's a feature, every night someone comes by and adds some lightness, free of charge.

So you're telling me in 15 years we'll be able to get really cheap aluminum to melt down into stuff by getting worn out trucks dirt cheap that, no matter how careless the owner is or how far north they live, can't rust?

Good news.

mtn wrote:

Xceler8x wrote:

curtis73 wrote: And Progressive, Geico, Nationwide, Allstate.... Insurance rates are going to skyrocket on those. That little ding that would have cost $150 to fix will now cost $500 The insurance on my F150 was a little higher than a similar chevy I had just sold. The agent said it was the aluminum hood. My liability went down a bit, but with the collision and comp it was significantly higher.

At the risk of being cynical I'm sure that rise in price has nothing to do with seeing an excuse to up the rates for any flimsy reason.

Or it could be actuarially sound rate increases due to aluminum being harder to repair than steel.

Yeah insurance companies do a lot of evil things, but jacking up prices for no reason isn't one of them. They're all competing hard to accept your dollars and ideally give you nothing in return.

fasted58 wrote:

mad_machine wrote: the insurance on my disco is not that much.. and most of it's body is aluminum (at least the outer shell is)

How old is the disco and how is the aluminum body holding up?

And is it under compehensive coverage where people want every scratch, nick, and ding repaired?

Rufledt wrote: So you're telling me in 15 years we'll be able to get really cheap aluminum to melt down into stuff by getting worn out trucks dirt cheap that, no matter how careless the owner is or how far north they live, can't rust? Good news.

Audi figured out how to make aluminum that doesn't corrode, but Ford fuel pump driver modules suggest that Ford hasn't figured it out yet.

GM has had welded aluminum stamping subframes and other bits (Trailblazer exhaust hangers, anyone?) for well over a decade and so far no issues other than the control arm sawing through the mount when someone lets a bad bushing go for too long.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote:

fasted58 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: time to buy stock in alcoa

bingo

Too late, the rush for that was over somewhere between the start of insider trading and the first 10 seconds of news of an aluminum F150 being public.

nope. In the past 3 months AA has gained 10% or about a buck. Still less than it's 52 week high. I wouldn't expect rocketship growth, but good solid growth as more people move to lighter platforms..

Hmm makes me wish I had a meaningful amount to invest, but all my assets are tied up in rusty steel

Rufledt wrote: So you're telling me in 15 years we'll be able to get really cheap aluminum to melt down into stuff by getting worn out trucks dirt cheap that, no matter how careless the owner is or how far north they live, can't rust? Good news.

Except Chrysler.......they'll stick with poorly painted steel until the year 2268. I figure it'll take them at least 150 years to perfect the high-corrosion aluminium.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Oh, let's not overstate it. Much of that superstructure was ripped off or smashed when the flight deck of my ship smashed through it. Sure, she caught fire, but it involved really neat flamibles like munitions and such.