This is big news. General Motors secured orders with Alcoa Inc and Novelis to supply the alloy for aluminum bodied pickup trucks to hit the market by late 2018.
It seems GM was forced into this move by the government regulations for higher fuel economy for trucks and competition from the all-new 2015 Ford F-150. When you consider the scale of production, manufacturers need unthinkable amount of aluminum sheet and other raw material to stamp out structures and components. GM sold nearly 500,000 light duty pickups in 2013 in United States. Getting enough aluminum for such a makeover takes planning and time, hence the late 2018 date.
The next generation F-series light-duty trucks uses high strength and high quality aluminum for the structure of the cab, the bed, fenders, hood, and tailgate. This and other improvements help Ford get rid of approximately 700 lbs per truck. It’s likely that GM will go for similar weight savings.
TFLtruck took a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado CrewCab with a 6.2L V8 through the Ike Gauntlet extreme towing test. You can watch the full video below. However, the large 6.2L engine will likely go the way of the Dodo bird when the new lighter weight truck come out in 2018.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, reporter, and software engineer. He has been a contributor at TFL since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or simply ‘going for a drive’.