Page 27 - Altogether Magazine Issue 5 English
P. 27
For the Ford Motor Company, there’s no vehicle more important than its
F Series pickup trucks. F Series pickups also are the best-selling vehicle of
any kind in the United States. That’s why competitors, suppliers, dealers
and millions of consumers who drive pickups were excited and amazed
when Ford announced in January that its newest generation F Series will
be manufactured largely from aluminum – the first pickup in history to
be so designed and built.
Ford’s primary motivation was to make its pickup Phil Martens, a former Ford senior executive who now
lighter, a decision that will reduce the pickup’s weight is the CEO of Novelis, said automakers increasingly will
by 700 pounds, significantly improving the model’s fuel have to pull off a “triple play” to comply with stricter fuel
economy. The decision to move to aluminum was a bold efficiency regulations. “One, vehicle will have to be light;
one, considering the massive changes in tooling and two, their engines and transmissions must be advanced
processes that were required in Ford’s manufacturing and, three, they’ll have to maintain the attributes that
plants. Dealers and service providers likewise will be consumers expect.” He said his company will supply
required to buy new equipment and train their workers roughly 550 pounds of the 900 pounds of aluminum
to repair dents and accident damage. that will be used in each vehicle. A Novelis plant in
Oswego, New York will supply Ford.
The biggest risk for the automaker is whether consumers
will regard the new aluminum pickups as tough and as In the U.S., automakers have been told that they must
rugged as the steel trucks they replace. Raj Nair, head of achieve a fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
Ford’s global product development, said the automaker
built and tested 11 prototypes starting in 2009 to The momentous decision to go with aluminum was
determine whether the new vehicle could withstand approved under the supervision of Alan Mulally, Ford’s
the rigors of use by farmers, miners, ranchers, tradesmen, chief executive officer. Mulally came to Ford from Boeing
utility repairmen and even off-road racers. in 2006, having amassed comprehensive experience with
the metal as a key material used to build airliners.
“We tried hard to break it,” Nair said, describing three Nevertheless, Ford’s move to aluminum also represents a
years of elaborate testing. The prototypes were equipped gamble.
with Ford’s 2.7-liter turbocharged engine, a new power
plant. The test drivers reported that the vehicles seemed If the switch works as anticipated, the automaker could
more quiet than usual. gain share of market from its chief rival, General Motors
Co., also a major producer of pickup trucks. A success
Other automakers, notably Audi and Land Rover, have with aluminum would be a crowning achievement
built aluminum cars before. But none have attempted for Mulally, who is set to retire at the end of the year.
a truck body or any vehicle in such great numbers, And Ford’s move well, should it prove fruitful, will be
approaching 800,000 or 900,000 annually. The lead mimicked by rival manufacturers.
aluminum supplier is Novelis, based in Atlanta and
a subsidiary of the Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla 27
Group, based in Mumbai.
F Series pickup trucks. F Series pickups also are the best-selling vehicle of
any kind in the United States. That’s why competitors, suppliers, dealers
and millions of consumers who drive pickups were excited and amazed
when Ford announced in January that its newest generation F Series will
be manufactured largely from aluminum – the first pickup in history to
be so designed and built.
Ford’s primary motivation was to make its pickup Phil Martens, a former Ford senior executive who now
lighter, a decision that will reduce the pickup’s weight is the CEO of Novelis, said automakers increasingly will
by 700 pounds, significantly improving the model’s fuel have to pull off a “triple play” to comply with stricter fuel
economy. The decision to move to aluminum was a bold efficiency regulations. “One, vehicle will have to be light;
one, considering the massive changes in tooling and two, their engines and transmissions must be advanced
processes that were required in Ford’s manufacturing and, three, they’ll have to maintain the attributes that
plants. Dealers and service providers likewise will be consumers expect.” He said his company will supply
required to buy new equipment and train their workers roughly 550 pounds of the 900 pounds of aluminum
to repair dents and accident damage. that will be used in each vehicle. A Novelis plant in
Oswego, New York will supply Ford.
The biggest risk for the automaker is whether consumers
will regard the new aluminum pickups as tough and as In the U.S., automakers have been told that they must
rugged as the steel trucks they replace. Raj Nair, head of achieve a fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
Ford’s global product development, said the automaker
built and tested 11 prototypes starting in 2009 to The momentous decision to go with aluminum was
determine whether the new vehicle could withstand approved under the supervision of Alan Mulally, Ford’s
the rigors of use by farmers, miners, ranchers, tradesmen, chief executive officer. Mulally came to Ford from Boeing
utility repairmen and even off-road racers. in 2006, having amassed comprehensive experience with
the metal as a key material used to build airliners.
“We tried hard to break it,” Nair said, describing three Nevertheless, Ford’s move to aluminum also represents a
years of elaborate testing. The prototypes were equipped gamble.
with Ford’s 2.7-liter turbocharged engine, a new power
plant. The test drivers reported that the vehicles seemed If the switch works as anticipated, the automaker could
more quiet than usual. gain share of market from its chief rival, General Motors
Co., also a major producer of pickup trucks. A success
Other automakers, notably Audi and Land Rover, have with aluminum would be a crowning achievement
built aluminum cars before. But none have attempted for Mulally, who is set to retire at the end of the year.
a truck body or any vehicle in such great numbers, And Ford’s move well, should it prove fruitful, will be
approaching 800,000 or 900,000 annually. The lead mimicked by rival manufacturers.
aluminum supplier is Novelis, based in Atlanta and
a subsidiary of the Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla 27
Group, based in Mumbai.
