MMLV: Corrosion Design and Testing

The Multi Material Lightweight Vehicle (MMLV) developed by Magna International and Ford Motor Company was a result of a US Department of Energy project DE-EE0005574. The project demonstrated the lightweighting potential of a five passenger sedan while maintaining vehicle performance and occupant safety. Prototype vehicles were manufactured and limited full vehicle testing was conducted. The Mach-I vehicle design, comprised of commercially available materials and production processes, achieved a 364 kg (23.5%) full vehicle mass reduction, enabling the application of a 1.0-liter three cylinder engine resulting in significant environmental benefit and increased fuel economy.

This paper includes details of the materials, surface treatments and assembly processes for the two MMLV prototype corrosion vehicles. Two corrosion mitigation strategies are documented. The first an alternative modular surface treatment approach with the second a traditional full body pre-treatment and e-coat approach. The highlights/outcomes/results of vehicle level corrosion tests indicate no significant difference in the corrosion mitigation performance between these two strategies.