Rising fuel prices have impacted everyone's wallet recently, but how will the effect of high fuel prices be felt in our industry? Many shops have noticed a dramatic increase in exotic alloys and advanced metals used in new vehicles to reduce their weight and save fuel.
The advances aren't limited to metal content. Changes in materials used for weight-saving parts include plastic engine cradles BMW uses in its 5 Series to advanced technology for creating a new type of carbon fiber called forged carbon. Another example: Lamborghini is working with unlikely technology partner, Calloway Golf Clubs, to develop a carbon panel created using carbon plastic flakes extruded under high pressure into a mold. The result is a quicker, cheaper and stronger panel compared to a traditional carbon fiber panel.So why would most collision repairers, which likely don't see many Lamborghini body panels in their shops, care about forged carbon? Volkswagen owns Lamborghini, and like all automakers, one of its significant initiatives is reducing vehicle weight. This technology will be used presumably in upcoming VW products, as well as Porsche and Audi. VW owns well-known car marques, including Spanish carmaker SEAT, Czech Republic manufacturer Skoda, Bentley and Bugatti. This may seem like a so-what factor for most repairers, but it's important to note VW reportedly is considering importing some of these brands.
In addition to forged carbon, carmakers are introducing more aluminum panels on vehicle architectures. As with most pioneering materials and techniques, someone had to be first, just as GM is credited with introducing the model year design cycle. For decades, its flagship models changed every year, and it unveiled the new models in the fall for the coming year. Other domestic carmakers followed suit and offered fresh sheet metal styling, front and rear, every year. It was the way to tell a vehicle's year from a distance.
When European cars came to the U.S., they didn't refresh every year. By the 1980s domestic carmakers adopted a longer production cycle and developed a mid-cycle face lift. Midway through the run of the car styling vehicles received a refreshed grill/headlamps and fender look, as well as a modified tail lamp/rear body panel treatment. This allowed carmakers to stretch the platform architecture to about five years with a mid-cycle refresh after about three years. Interestingly, aluminum panels are being introduced during this refresh. It seems that if the mold to stamp has to be changed for a new hood or fender style, it's a good time to change the metallurgy, too.
While repairers may have straightened the fender on plenty of 2009s, when the 2012 comes out, they better verify the metal on which they're working. Using the same DA sander with a vacuum system on aluminum directly can mix dust particles in the vacuum, which can be dangerous. An explosion could result by the two metal particles combining with heat and moisture.
Because drivetrains are transforming for better fuel economy, General Motors is introducing eAssist on many new mid-size vehicles. The eAssist system enhances fuel mileage about 25 percent by assisting the gasoline engine by shutting it down when the car comes to a stop or cutting off the fuel supply when cruising or decelerating. The motor-generator continues spinning along with the engine to provide immediate and smooth take-off power when the driver presses on the accelerator. The generic name for the system is BAS, or Belt Alternator Starter.
This so-called mild hybrid system is mated to GM's 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission for the mild hybrid. The hybrid drivetrain uses a 115-volt lithium-ion battery weighing 65 pounds that's housed in the trunk and allows half of the rear seat to fold down to carry larger cargo. The BAS design has noteworthy fuel economy gains compared to the earlier GM BAS system, but neither comes close to fuel mileage delivered by a full hybrid operation. Still, the new Buick LaCrosse mild hybrid achieves 37 mpg on the highway, substantially more than the normally aspirated V6 LaCrosse. Yet, you can't tell a difference between their exteriors.
GM says one lesson it learned earlier this decade is when customers see a hybrid badge, they assume the vehicle should deliver Toyota Prius mileage (50 mpg). The Green Line vehicles that Saturn offered, as well as the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid (2008-09), were widely avoided because they didn't deliver the mileage the public expected from a hybrid. The key take-away is the car will have a lithium-ion battery, a generator and wheel-mounted brake energy regenerators to help recharge the battery.
While these advances may not seem like the best news, the small, fuel efficient cars on the road today are experiencing a rapid rise in resale value. The higher the car's cash value, the higher the probability shops appraising these vehicles can repair them instead of hitting the total loss threshold. A 3-year-old Honda Accord is worth 24 percent more than a 3-year-old Accord last year, according to http://Edmunds.com. Furthermore, a 3-year-old Hyundai Sonata is worth 22 percent more than the same age Sonata last year. Bumps in value of this magnitude will result in more of those vehicles being repaired rather than totaled. So, at least there's some good news from the spike in fuel prices.
