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Aluminum and polymer composites have long been considered the materials of choice for achieving mass reduction in automotive structures. As consumer and government demand for mass reduction grows, the use of these materials, which have traditionally been more expensive than the incumbent steel, becomes more likely. In response to this growing challenge, the international steel community has joined forces to develop the Ultra Light Steel Auto Body (ULSAB). The resulting design saves mass and increases performance relative to current steel unibodies. Although mass savings are not as dramatic as those achieved by alternative materials, this design offers the potential to be accompanied by a manufacturing cost reduction. The projected manufacturing piece and investment cost for the ULSAB are investigated using technical cost modeling. The results presented here examine the elements that contribute to the cost, including treatments for stamping, hydroforming, assembly and purchased parts.

Total cost analysis (TCA) was used to evaluate a pollution prevention project in automotive electrocoating. The objective of TCA was to examine tradeoffs between reduced environmental costs and potentially higher materials costs for a lead-free process. The TCA model considered here is a hybrid of two TCA models, developed separately by P. Bailey and A. White. Results of the analysis show that a lead-free paint price premium of not more than 0.3% over the leaded paint price results in the lead-free project being financially worthwhile. After incorporating liability and less tangible benefits and allowing the savings to be valued at several million dollars over twenty years, the project becomes financially advantageous at the estimated 9% lead-free paint price increase.