Mention “lightweight design,” and supercar specialists Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche probably top your hit parade. General Motors, if you think of them at all, surely lives down this list. But now that every maker is striving to satisfy future fuel-economy obligations, GM is emerging as a leader of the lightweight pack, especially in terms of mass-produced models that most of us can actually afford.
Charlie Klein, GM?s executive director responsible for CO2 strategy, energy, mass, and aerodynamics (what else matters"), recently summarized the progress America?s largest car producer has made. Using GM’s own figures, seven fresh production models are said to be lighter by an average of 350 pounds compared with their immediate predecessors. Using manufacturer-claimed base-vehicle weights, GM touts that the Cadillac XT5 is some 650 pounds lighter than the Mercedes-Benz GLE-class. Packing evidence into his case, Klein revealed the strategies behind GM?s efficiency initiative and shared a few advanced technologies under examination for future implementation.
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Seven fresh production models are lighter by an average 350 pounds compared with their immediate predecessors.
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Six to eight years ago, GM?s top engineering management concluded that lighter products not only were essential to meet more stringent mileage standards, but also to compete successfully against global competitors in performance. Once that realization trickled down to the R&D trench...