A stainless future

A push is under way to move stainless steel into more vehicle applications than just exhaust systems-notably structural parts and fuel cells.

No, the automotive industry is not going Back to the Future. So don't expect any vehicles with exposed stainless steel (SS) body panels and gull-wing doors-á la the DeLorean DMC-12 of the early ‘80s-in mass production any time soon.

Even so, industry experts such as Tom Long, Manager of Specialty Steel Sales for Ohio-based AK Steel, do expect the percentage of the corrosion-resistant material within each vehicle to increase in coming years. Unlike in the past decade, when much of the growth resulted from its traditional role in the exhaust system, as dual exhausts became more popular and vehicle sizes swelled, future growth is likely to come from its use in non-exhaust applications as well.