Drivers.com: After 50 years, aluminum cars are back
I was thinking of the Audi A8 that he mentioned. From the article:
"But at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi unveiled a new five- door hatchback it claims is the world's first aluminum car to be signed off for volume production.
The A2 weighs approximately 43% less than it would if built from steel using conventional processes, having a considerable effect on fuel consumption and handling agility.
The primary reason for the increased use of aluminum in the automobile is cost-effective mass reduction. In combination with advances in power train efficiency, aluminum can achieve significant gains in fuel efficiency and reduced atmospheric.
A 10% reduction in weight, for example, can achieve at least an 8% increase in fuel efficiency.
Aluminum permits manufacturers to reduce vehicle weight while maintaining size and strength, offering the possibility of radical redesign."
Sounds like aluminum is the only way to go for an EV. I don't know offhand if the Leaf is aluminum, but at its cost I kinda doubt it. Maybe getting some used, scrapped audi A8 from the junkyard could make a good EV conversion? Might be more practical due to its increased size and lighter weight. Aluminum cars are a little hard to come by, so it occurred to me that maybe no one around here has used on in an electric vehicle conversion.