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Ford, Alcoa announce next generation of aluminum lightweighting for F-150

Ford likes what it has seen with the use of aluminum in its world-beating F-150 pickup trucks. Now, the Blue Oval is working with Alcoa to use that company's Micromill material to increase the amount of aluminum in Ford vehicles. In fact, Ford will start using Micromill on 2016 model-year F-150s later this year, and will double the material's use in 2017. The purpose, as you might suspect, is light weighting, which allows Ford to boost towing capacity while adding as little weight as possible. Ford will be the first automaker to use Micromill, and will use it in both structural components and exterior panels. Micromill's rolling-mill system cuts the time it takes to turn molten metal into coil to 20 minutes from about 20 days. Already, Ford has had positive results by using aluminum on its leading pickup truck model. In April, it was announced that the 2015 Ford F-150 achieved a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's testing. Safety features like inflatable seat belts, adaptive steering columns and a forward collision warning system helped matters. General Motors may have taken note of those results, even after running an ad campaign touting its continued use of steel over aluminum. Last month, GM said it would sink $877 million into its Flint, MI, truck factory. Reuters said much of the expense was to convert many of the bodies for models like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups into aluminum. You can take a look at Ford's press release below. Ford Motor Company and Alcoa Inc. are collaborating to produce next-generation automotive aluminum alloys that are more formable and design-friendly. Ford will use Alcoa's Micromill® material in multiple components on the 2016 F-150 – becoming the first automaker to use the advanced automotive aluminum commercially. The companies entered into a joint development agreement to collaborate on next-generation aluminum alloys for automotive parts using Micromill™ technology. ''Light-weighting enables us to design vehicles with great customer attributes – like the F-150, which can tow more, haul more, accelerate quicker and stop faster than the previous F-150, and is more fuel-efficient than ever," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president and chief technical officer, Global Product Development.

Ford Gets The Aluminum F-150 Ready For Prime Time

Russell Barnett, a Ford dealer in Tennessee, is ready for aluminum. Ford is using the metal almost exclusively in body of the 2015 version of its best-selling F-150 pickup, which starts arriving at dealerships next month. Barnett is already answering customers' questions about the truck. And he's updated his repair shop not only for the F-150, but in anticipation that other Ford brands such as the Mustang will eventually make the switch from steel. But, just in case, he ordered some extra steel-bodied 2014 pickups. "There will be some people who won't want to change for a while," says Barnett, who says pickups make up around half of the annual sales at his dealership in rural Winchester. Ford is doubling down on aluminum, which is lighter - and more expensive - than steel but just as tough. The new truck is the company's response to customers' requests for a more fuel-efficient and nimbler pickup. Fordhopes the advantages outweigh customer doubts about the durability of aluminum or potential repair costs for the pricier metal. It's a big risk. So far this year, one out of every three vehicles Ford sold in the U.S. was an F-Series pickup. Morgan Stanley estimates F-Series trucks account for 90 percent of Ford's global automotive profit. On Tuesday, it kicked off production of the new truck at its Dearborn Truck Plant, four miles from the company's headquarters. "Yeah, this is a risk, but it's one well worth taking." said Bill Ford, the company's executive chairman, as he stood alongside the assembly line. "For our customer, this is a big, big leap forward." The trucks have been the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 32 straight years; last year, Ford sold nearly 100,000 more full-size pickups than General Motors. Aluminum isn't new to the auto industry, but this is the first time it will cover the entire body of such a high-volume vehicle. Ford made 647,697 F-150 pickups at its two U.S. plants last year; that's one every 49 seconds. If Ford's bet pays off, it could pad its lead in the lucrative truck market. More importantly, aluminum "future proofs" the truck - and the company - in an era of rising fuel economy standards, says Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book. Ford will announce the truck's fuel economy figures later this month. That could determine if it steals customers away from the Silverado or Ram. Truck buyers are among the most loyal in the auto market.

The Stig drives Forza-liveried Ford Focus RS to Gamescom

Auto shows typically present the best opportunities for the public to check out the latest metal the industry has to showcase, but European enthusiasts won't need to wait until Frankfurt or Geneva to see Ford's new performance machinery up close. That's because they'll be able to check out the new Ford GT and Focus RS at the Gamesom expo that opens today in Cologne. But it won't be just any Focus RS, and it won't be driven there by just any old driver. To mark the European debut of Forza Motorsport 6 – whose cover is adorned by the new Ford GT – the Blue Oval automaker has had gamers help design a special livery for the new hot hatch. Wrapped in red, white, and blue with images of the new GT, the unique Focus will be driven by none other than The Stig himself from Top Gear. (Or at least someone in a similar white racing outfit, at any rate.) His Royal Stigness won't have far to go, as Ford's European headquarters are located right there in Cologne (or Koln as the locals call it), less than a half-hour drive down the Rhein river to the Koln Messe where the show will take place. There it'll be showcased alongside the new Ford GT as well, giving gaming fans the chance to check out some very fast Fords up close and personal. Related Video: Aug 4, 2015 | COLOGNE, Germany Ford GT and Gamer-Customised Forza Focus RS to Star During Gamescom; Top Gear's The Stig Helps Unveil One-Off Design - Customised new Focus RS with unique livery designed by players of Forza Motorsport for Xbox unveiled ahead of 2015 Gamescom exhibition in Cologne, Germany - The Stig from BBC's Top Gear drives Forza Focus RS to pre-show event - Visitors to Gamescom – Europe's largest interactive games trade fair – will also see all-new Ford GT supercar on show COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 4, 2015 – A unique all-new Ford Focus RS featuring an exterior designed by players of Forza Motorsport for Xbox was unveiled today at a special Microsoft event, ahead of the international 2015 Gamescom event in Cologne. The special Forza Focus RS was driven to the event – and accompanied during the evening – by the Stig from BBC's Top Gear, who will feature in the new Forza Motorsport 6 game for the Microsoft Xbox One console. The all-new Focus RS is the third generation of Focus RS cars, following models launched in 2002 and 2009.