Novelis, the aluminium rolling and recycling company, has announced it is supplying Toyota Motor Corporation with premium aluminium automotive body sheet for the 2019 Toyota RAV4. The RAV4 is Toyota’s number-one-selling vehicle and the best-selling non-pickup-truck in the US. With a new-and-improved design that includes Novelis aluminium in the hood, fenders and liftgate, the fifth-generation model of the RAV4 is 4% lighter than previous models.
“Novelis is proud to expand our partnership with Toyota as the company takes the RAV4 to the next level of safety, performance and style,” said Marco Palmieri, senior vice president and president, Novelis North America. “We are confident that the unparalleled quality and strength of Novelis aluminium will help Toyota exceed the high expectations of new and loyal RAV4 owners.”
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The new RAV4 offers consumers a robust design, additional safety technology and off-road capabilities resulting in an overall enhanced driving experience. By lightweighting the vehicle with aluminium, Toyota had even more flexibility to add new features, while also increasing the width and wheelbase. For example, lightweight aluminium helped offset 45 pounds of additional vehicle weight for a suite of safety features including a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert and Lane Tracing Assist.
To meet Toyota’s stringent requirements for joining and performance, Novelis supplied Advanz 6HS – s600 and Advanz 6HS – e600, which are heat treatable alloys specifically designed and optimised for high strength requirements, offering a balance of formability and strength. In addition, a team of Novelis engineers and metallurgists developed a new thermomechanical manufacturing process at the company’s facility in Oswego, New York, where Novelis produces the alloy for Toyota.
