As the need to build lighter, more efficient cars increases, PSA Peugeot Citroen would consider “a mutually beneficial partnership” with aluminium suppliers, chairman Philippe Varin told the Metal Bulletin aluminium conference in Paris.
“The larger use of aluminium in our cars can only be achieved if we manage to build global and mutually beneficial partnerships,” he said.”The price difference we have today between steel and aluminium can only be overcome by a better approach of value.”
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Varin told the conference that Peugeot is “definitely considering entering into strategic supply relationships with some commodity suppliers,” adding that the group is also looking at plastics and composites to help save weight.
Peugeot had already developed global partnerships with car parts suppliers but did not have such ties with raw material suppliers, he said.
After the average weight of its cars rose to 1,250kg from 800kg 35 years ago, Peugeot wanted to reverse the trend by eliminating 100kg in each of its next two generations of models, he said.
Greater use of aluminium, which currently represents about 100kg in the overall weight of its cars, would allow Peugeot cut its vehicle weight by 150kg, he said but cautioned that using aluminium also involved substantial investments in adapting production lines.
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