Cast Aluminum in the Vehicle Structure Taking the Example of a City Car Study

The analysis of the lightweight design potential of different materials for car body application shows that cast aluminum is suitable for the load bearing structure of the passenger compartment. Design freedom, component integration, tooling costs and recycling possibilities are arguments in favour of the casting material.

In order to get practical findings about possibilities and limits of aluminum castings in the bodywork a highly integrated passenger compartment has been developed for a city car study.

Compared with a sheet steel structure the aluminum casting shows a competitive weight level and promises relatively low production costs in small series.