Cost of lightweight materials in advanced-technology electric cars

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6257659

Curtis, R L

The cost estimates made for the electric cars in the preceding phases of this study assumed that the manufacturing cost per pound of the structural components was the same for all vehicles regardless of the technology level. Since the cost per unit weight of lightweight materials can be appreciably higher than that of the conventional materials they replace, the cost estimates for the vehicles using the advanced technology were low. Accordingly, an estimate was made in this Phase III study of the increased cost of the lightweight materials that are used for the advanced technology vehicles. These new costs are incorporated in the electric vehicle weight and cost model (EVWAC) developed in this study phase. The object of this report is to describe and document the lightweight material cost estimates. The lightweight material for the advanced technology structural applications, based primarily on the substitution of aluminum and/or plastics for conventional material (e.g., mild steel) is estimated to reduce component weight by 55%, with lightweight material costing, per unit weight, 3.4 times as much to manufacture as conventional material. Lightweight material at this weight and cost can be cost-effectively substituted for upper body and chassis structural components made of conventional materials. However, manufacturing cost ratios greater than 3.4 result in higher initial and life-cycle costs for the advanced four-passenger eV investigated. For this average weight savings and cost ratio, the initial and life-cycle costs are independent of the amount of lightweight material substituted.

• Research Organization: General Research Corp., Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76CS51180
• OSTI ID: 6257659
• Report Number(s): DOE/CS/51180-T10; ON: DE81024173
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330300* -- Advanced Propulsion Systems-- Electric-Powered Systems
330604 -- Vehicle Design Factors-- Weight
ALUMINIUM
COST
ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FORECASTING
LIFE-CYCLE COST
MATERIALS
METALS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
VEHICLES
WEIGHT