Lightweighting to remain critical, regardless of regulation changes

Shedding weight from vehicles has played a central role in helping OEMs improve fuel economy and reduce emissions for years. There are a wide array of materials and techniques that are still helping vehicle manufacturers to lower weight, and while improvements are small, every little helps in light of increasingly stringent regulations.

However, question marks currently hover over US fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the future of which could have an impact on the lightweighting strategies adopted by OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers alike.