June 2009

Conference Paper

The R&D of the FreedomCAR Materials Program

By:
Carpenter, Joseph; Daniels, Edward; Sklad, Philip S; Warren, Charles D; Smith, Mark
Publication Date:
June 2009
Conference Name:
IABC 2006 - World Auto Body Expo
Conference Location:
Novi, Michigan, United States of America
Conference Sponsor:
International Automotive Body Congress (IABC)

Abstract

Expanding world economic prosperity, probable peaking of conventional petroleum production capacity in the coming decades and climate concerns require efforts to increase the efficiency of the use of and to develop alternatives to, petroleum-based fuels used in automotive transportation. The US Department of Energy (USDOE) has been aggressively pursuing research and development (R&D) on both approaches for over ten years. This presentation will focus on the materials and manufacturing R&D aimed at lightweighting of the bodies and chassis of light-duty automotive vehicles such as autos, vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs.