Hyperdrive
A Steelmaker’s Plan to Win Back the Car of the Future
ArcelorMittal believes electric vehicles could favor the stronger, cheaper metal.
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The automobile of the future isn’t just about batteries and self-driving computers. For ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, that evolution could determine whether the metal retains a century-long role as the primary material in most new cars and trucks.
For years, steel has been losing share to aluminum, alloys and plastics. While steel parts are stronger and cheaper, they’re heavier. Automakers wanted lighter vehicles that pollute less. In 2014, ArcelorMittal was stunned when customer Ford Motor Co. said it would remove about 700 pounds (320 kilograms) of steel from its F-150 pickup trucks by using more aluminum, mostly in the outer body.