Purchasing a Car?
Attending the LA Auto Show has given me a new perspective in purchasing a car. We live in an era that “go green” isn’t just a slogan but a way of life, we make a conscious decisions everyday to become environmentally friendly. When purchasing a car we look at aluminum cars because they claim to be lighter but realistically we have to look at the overall picture. Aluminum cars pitch a lower fuel consumption but we overlook the carbon footprint of a vehicle over its entire life. By using alternative materials to cut weight to improve fuel economy, manufacturers end up raising emissions in other places, defeating the purpose of using alternative materials altogether. When buying a new vehicle, you want to cover all of your bases, by choosing something that has low emissions over its entire lifecycle AND high fuel economy. Chooseing a vehicle made primarily with advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) is less harmful to the environment for a number of reasons.
Because of the of the large differences in material production emissions, building AHSS-intensive vehicles generates 20-47 percent fewer emissions than manufacturing vehicles with alternative materials, such as aluminum, magnesium and carbon fiber reinforced composites. Steel is 100 percent recyclable and the most recycled material globally, saving vital resources for future generations. Nearly all automotive steel is collected and recycled. Steel’s physical properties allow products to be recycled into any steel product without loss of quality. Competing materials must be recycled to the same grade or a lower-quality product (down-cycling). There are more than 80 million tons of recycled steel available per year for the manufacturing of new steel products. The major advantages include its high corrosion resistance allowing it to be used in rigorous environments. It is resistance to fire and heat allowing it to resist scaling and retain strength at high temperatures.
The use of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) in the vehicles provides the edge drivers need. AHSS is strong, lightweight and provides the highest value, making it a top choice for consumers, designers and engineers alike. Steel is a very sustainable material option as it emits the fewest greenhouse gas emissions compared to other materials, offers great lightweighting which increases fuel economy and is the most recyclable material overall.
I hope after reading what I’ve learned you’ll do your own research and come to the same conclusion, that Steel Matters. The vehicle list below offers a range of cars for your family needs and budget.
1.Chevrolet ~ 2018 Equinox
2. Ford ~ 2017 EcoSport
3. Nissan ~ Rogue Star Wars edition
4. 2017 Versa Note
5. 2017 Juke Black Pearl
6. Jaguar Land Rover ~ IPace EV
7. Mazda ~ CX-5
Green Car of the Year Awards!!!!
8. BMW 330e iPerformance, the body is made of high-strength steel.
10. Chrysler Pacifica, the body structure is made of 72 percent high-strength steel, sliding doors are made of aluminum, liftgate constructed of magnesium.
11. Kia Optima, more than 50 percent advanced high-strength steel.
12. Toyota Prius Prime, 19 percent high-tensile strength steel.
13. Jeep ~ Compass
14. Toyota ~CH-R
15. Honda ~ Civic
*Compensation for this post was provided by the Steel Market Development Institute viaSheBuysCars. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.