Fact #310: March 8, 2004
Average Material Consumption for a Domestic Automobile
The amount of high- and medium-strength steel, aluminum, and plastics used in automobiles has been growing, while the amount of regular steel sheet and iron has declined. The change to lighter weight materials has helped the average automobile to be about 250 pounds lighter in 2004 than in 1977. Steel (all kinds combined) makes up more than half of the weight of an automobile.
Supporting Information
| 2004 | 2000 | 1991 | 1985 | 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular steel sheet, tube, and bar | 1,361.0 | 1,373.0 | 1,341.0 | 1,481.5 | 1,995.0 |
| High- and medium-strength steel | 395.0 | 339.0 | 240.5 | 217.5 | 125.0 |
| Stainless steel | 75.5 | 53.0 | 37.0 | 29.0 | 26.0 |
| Other steels | 28.0 | 22.5 | 41.5 | 54.5 | 56.0 |
| Total steel | 1,859.5 | 1,787.5 | 1,660.0 | 1,782.5 | 2,202.0 |
| Iron | 308.0 | 352.5 | 431.0 | 468.0 | 540.0 |
| Aluminum | 289.5 | 245.5 | 166.0 | 138.0 | 97.0 |
| Plastic and plastic composites | 257.5 | 248.5 | 238.0 | 211.5 | 168.0 |
| Fluids, lubricants | 198.5 | 198.0 | 174.0 | 184.0 | 200.0 |
| Rubber | 152.0 | 144.0 | 135.5 | 136.0 | 150.0 |
| Glass | 99.5 | 98.5 | 86.0 | 85.0 | 87.5 |
| Copper and brass | 51.5 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 44.0 | 38.5 |
| Powder metal parts | 41.5 | 36.0 | 23.5 | 19.0 | 15.5 |
| Magnesium parts | 10.0 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 |
| Zinc die castings | 8.5 | 11.5 | 17.5 | 18.0 | 38.0 |
| Other materials | 133.0 | 110.0 | 78.5 | 99.0 | 128.0 |
| Total | 3,409.0 | 3,286.0 | 3,059.0 | 3,187.5 | 3,665.5 |
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Source: American Metal Market. | |||||
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