Mild steel’s days are numbered in vehicle bodies

The weight of a vehicle might not matter to the average customer, but fuel economy does, and among today’s customers is an expectation of significant improvements with each new model cycle. These expectations have meant high strength steels, advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and ultra high strengths steels (UHSS) making phenomenal inroads into manufacturing methodologies.

So says Carla Bailo, Chief Executive at the US-based Center for Automotive Research (CAR). 'Phenomenal' is by no means hyperbole, she adds: “The fact we’ve met all of the safety and