Automakers Developing Significantly Lighter Trucks to Meet New Fuel Economy Standards

Reuters is reporting that major automakers are tirelessly working on reducing the weight of future generation pickup trucks, in order to meet stricter fuel economy standards without sacrificing key abilities, such as power, payload capacity or towing capability.

Until 2016, when the new mandates take effect, manufacturers must reach an average fleet economy of 35.5 mpg (6.63 lt/100 km), while light trucks will have to return around 30 mpg or 7.84 lt/100 km. Given that around 50 per cent of vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first 11 months of the year were light trucks, it’s clear that the likes of Ford and GM have to act fast.

One way of improving fleet economy is by launching EVs and hybrids, but that’s not enough. The average weight in the pickup segment is nearly 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg) and it’s critical to reduce it if the new guidelines are to be met.

Most of the bulk is due to added comfort, electronic and safety features, which made America’s “workhorses” more enjoyable to own over the past decade. But the same equipment also increased weight by 22%, while fuel economy boost was just 2 percent.

To eliminate the aforementioned added features is not an option, as buyers certainly won’t tolerate poorly equipped or less safe products. Same goes for the powerful engines and solid structures, which define the pickup trucks. That leaves makers with just one option: the use of lighter materials, but comparable in strength or other qualities to traditional solutions.

GM is spearheading these efforts with its upcoming Chevrolet Silverado series, due to arrive in 2014. According to the plan, the Chevy trucks are going to be 500 pounds (227 kg) lighter by 2016, while further reductions are expected in the next decade.

To achieve this, engineers plan to use alongside other solutions, blown-in foam as sound deadening material, instead of a cheaper, but heavier, pad.

“It's a tough task, but we're facing it as grown-ups”, said Rick Spina, who leads full-size truck development for GM. “We're going to do everything we can to keep the customer from realizing we've had to make changes in a fundamental way”.

Meanwhile, Ford is reportedly planning to implement a magnesium alloy frame and aluminum body panels for the next generation F-150. Inside sources revealed that these measures could shave as much as 800 pounds (363 kg) off its hot-selling truck series. GM will also use similar lightweight materials for its trucks according to Rick Spina.

However, building the lightweight trucks is one thing and marketing them, another. Lightweight materials cost more and pickup truck prices are likely to increase, which could affect sales. One thing is certain, though: the U.S. government is keen to further reduce overall fleet consumption, as automakers may have to achieve CAFE standards of 62 mpg (3.79 lt/100 km) by 2025.

Triple Recall for Dodge Affects Over 144,000 Journey and Ram Vehicles

The Chrysler Group is recalling certain Dodge Journey crossovers and Ram trucks in three separate actions to repair defective steering wheels, airbags and noisy rear axles.

The largest of Chrysler's recalls involves 65,180 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured from November 1, 2007, through September 7, 2008. According to a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], the wires within the front door wire harnesses may fatigue and break. If this happens, the side-impact sensors may not work resulting in inoperative side airbags. Chrysler said it will replace the left and right door wiring harnesses free of charge.

The second recall affects a total of 22,274 Model Year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 trucks to address a problem with the steering system. NHSTA said these vehicles may experience a weakening and fracture of the left ball stud on the tie rod resulting in the potential loss of steering. The Detroit automaker will fix the aforementioned issue by replacing the left outer tie rod free of charge.

Finally, the Chrysler Group is recalling 56,611 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured from September 2009 through December 2010 to fix components within the rear axle. "Some vehicles may experience a noise (growl, grind) coming from the rear axle bearing which could eventually seize," said the NHTSA posting.

All three recalls are expected to begin in February 2011.

Fiat Banking on Natural Gas Engines in the US, Thinks Hybrids and EVs Present Too Many Obstacles

Fiat’s comeback to the U.S. with the 500 is just the first piece of a larger puzzle. The company’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, may give the green light for natural gas-powered cars to be sold in the Land of the Free, as they offer a cheaper way to cut emissions. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Mr. Marchionne noted that electric cars, favored by GM and Toyota, present “too many obstacles” with long recharge time for batteries being one of them.

Another company official, Constantinos Vafidis, who oversees transmission and hybrid development for the Italian maker, said that “natural gas is very suitable for the U.S., especially for public services and goods transportation, where vehicles are refueled from a central base”.

That’s why Fiat wants to target the commercial vehicle segment. The automaker has separated the Ram and Dodge brands last year, thus creating a standalone truck division. In 2012, the range could encompass various vans based on Fiat/Iveco platforms and brought over from Europe.

Natural gas is less expensive to produce, transport and distribute, which makes it an ideal solution for fleet operators. Currently, it costs about $1 less on average than a gallon of gasoline. Also, the additional cost for an engine running on natural gas is $3,000. For a diesel, this amounts to $3,300, while hybrids cost automakers a whopping $8,000.

Having an edge in production costs and the U.S. being the world’s number one provider of natural gas means that Fiat could become a major player in the eco-friendly niche. The Turin-based maker is Europe’s market leader in manufacturing methane-powered cars delivering some 127,000 units last year.

The only problem is that in America, natural gas refueling stations are vastly outnumbered by gasoline stations. There are only 1,300 stations providing natural gas for 110,000 vehicles, compared to 160,000 stations selling conventional fuels. However, this problem could be circumvented if Fiat can convince government agencies and corporate fleets that natural gas is the way to go.