Vehicle manufacturers are under pressure of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and still improving safety. One method to reduce the consumption and emissions is to make the vehicles lighter. Several approaches are employed to make cars lighter and yet stronger to ensure safety standards:
(1) to use high strength-to-weight ratio materials (higher strength steels, Aluminum,
Magnesium, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers, etc.) and (2) to reduce the material use wherever possible.
This chapter discusses the material requirements in a car body, steel grades used in
automotive industry and introduces the hot stamping process.