Nissan going for a lightweight strategy, looks for 15 percent reduction in 7 years
While some of Nissan's green moves include forays into diesel technology (see these posts on the Titan and the Forum concept), the company is also working on a foolproof way to increase MPGs: reducing weight. According to a story in DowJones, Nissan is working to slash the average weight of its vehicles by 15 percent (compared to 2005 model year numbers) over the next seven years. The cuts will come "by rethinking vehicle design, using light weight materials and encouraging parts suppliers to also pursue the new efficiency targets."
While Autoblog greeted this news with an eye to more "compelling driving dynamics" (something I don't discount), this news is really a win for the auto industry as a whole. Nissan isn't some niche company making 100 cars a year, and if they seriously get into lightweight materials like carbon fiber panels, the cost for those expensive parts should go down for everyone. Now that's exciting.
[Source: Chris Oliver / DowJones via Autoblog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Benjamin Jones 11:41AM (1/07/2008)
From what they say among bikers and aftermarket parts companies, carbon fiber is in a world wide shortage and the demand is actually driving prices up...Do we really need bumpers that save 5 pounds while increasing fender bender damage hundreds or thousdands of dollars?
Lightweight is fine, but expensive CF where aluminum or plastic would do seems a bit of a waste...That's not to say that I don't support the efforts, however.
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Benjamin Jones
http://ecomodder.com
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Kardax 1:52PM (1/07/2008)
Benhamin Jones: Carbon fiber is not mined or pumped, it's manufactured. Any shortages can be overcome by increases in production capability.
With demand (and prices) rising so rapidly, I guarantee every company in the carbon fiber business is investing all that they can to boost production :)
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Joseph 5:24PM (1/07/2008)
You make a car weigh less without using fancy materials.
Hopefully Nissan will lighten cars they sell here. But alot of the cars they sell in the U.S. are also sold in the rest of the world, so we should get to see lighter cars. Yipee!
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rob 11:45PM (1/07/2008)
Glad to see Nissan getting started. A shame they're taking baby steps though, it'll cost more and take longer with low targets.
Car design: Six koans...
Big fuel savings cost less than small fuel savings.
To leap forwards, think backwards.
By not saving fuel, more fuel is saved.
To make cars inexpensive, use costly materials.
To make cars safer, make them much lighter.
To get the cleanest, most efficient cars, don't mandate them - just let the customer demand and get superior design.
Amory Lovins, transportation efficiency lecture @ Stanford University 3/28/07
Video here (it's the third one):
http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid231.php
This lecture should be required viewing for auto industry designers, engineers and executives.
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Lad 5:22AM (1/08/2008)
Wasn't it the great race car designer, Colin Chapman who said to improve a car's performance, "Add Lightness"?
In 1970 Nissan,then called Datsun, produced a great little 240Z sports car that weighted 2350 lbs and cost $3,600. Did 0 to 60 in about 7 seconds with about 135 hp. Now They have a mass produced super car that weights 3600lbs and cost $70,000; does the quarter mile in under 12 seconds with about 500 hp. I wonder what the car would do at about 3100 lbs. Oops! I got carried away here, I'm thinking performance when I should be thinking efficiency, sorry!
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Owain Ozymandias Buck 8:17AM (1/08/2008)
I like this approach. But then again, I'd put up with more noise, rattles, vibration, etc. if it would save a few hundred pounds. Light, crude cars can be pretty fun, but you have to not mind the downside. It sounds like good engineering might lessen the crude part. Good work!
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Noah 2:32PM (1/08/2008)
Well, when Jaguar switched is XJ and I think now the XK to aluminum spaceframes, the fuel economy didn't really get better (still used the v8). They probably took off between 200 and 400 pounds! However, performance shot up.
To take advantage of this, what needs to be done is combine the light weight with smaller engines. Don't keep the current ones. So an Altima could use its 2.0 4 banger instead of the 2.5, netting a couple MPG change. Ah, people just need to stop buying V6's when the 4 banger is strong enough.
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