Buying Green Means Buying Steel
Hybrid Electric Vehicles count on steel as material of choice

In the race to build the clean cars of tomorrow, the global automotive industry is focusing on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that improve fuel economy and reduce emissions without compromising performance, safety or affordability.

Vehicle manufacturers are relying on a dependable ally – steel – as the safe, affordable and fully recyclable material for building a number of HEVs that will go on the market over the next several years.

Steel has long been the backbone of auto safety due to its intrinsic ability to absorb crash energy and direct it away from a vehicle’s occupants. This unique property has made possible such life-saving engineering advances as crumple zones and steel safety cages. And now, it’s steel’s environmental benefits that are taking centre stage.

“Consumers can continue to count on the safety, security and recyclability that steel has become known for,” says Mark Stephenson, president of TheSteelAlliance. “By working together with the auto industry we’re helping to provide consumers with a product that doesn’t compromise their safety or the environment.”

The steel industry has demonstrated its commitment to helping the auto manufacturers meet consumer demands for vehicles that are lighter in weight and therefore more fuel efficient through initiatives like the UltraLight Steel Auto Body series (ULSAB). These lightweighting initiatives have shown that a reduced-mass and efficient steel design, coupled with clean, high fuel-efficient power sources, such as the hybrid-electric concepts, are the quickest and most effective ways to deliver significantly higher mileage vehicles to car buyers. 

In addition to these high-performance characteristics, steel’s cost advantages are virtually unbeatable by competitive materials like aluminum and plastics. At the same time, cars are one of today’s most recycled products with an average recycling rate during the past 10 years of almost 98 per cent. This means that the average car buyer gets a safer, more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle at a price he or she can afford. 

Manufacturers currently setting their sites on steel-bodied hybrids include Ford’s HEV Escape, the Toyota Prius, Honda’s HEV version of the popular Civic, and the Nissan Tino. General Motors will be producing several hybrid-powered trucks and cars as well.

When asked what can be done about air pollution, but still enable consumers to reach their destinations, the answer is clear: When purchasing a new vehicle, pay attention to the material inside, and make sure its green - because buying green means buying steel.

TheSteelAlliance is an organization of more than 140 North American steel producers and affiliated organizations that have joined together in an unprecedented industry-wide coalition to educate consumers about the benefits of steel. For more information about steel, visit: www.TheNewSteel.com