The Innovative Use of Magnesium in Car Design and an Analysis of Cost vs. Weight Savings

Vehicle weight reduction, while retaining the same features, goes in stride with the need to reduce fuel consumption and pollution.

Among the alternatives to steel, magnesium presents characteristics that are worthy of note and, over the past few years, the applications of this material in the realization of structural components have actually multiplied.

This document contains a description of the most important components realized with magnesium for the Alfa Romeo 156, one of the first widely mass produced cars in which more than 8 kg of magnesium are used, and it points out the problems that the vehicle builder must solve in order to be able to make use of larger amounts of magnesium to build cars.