With the widespread adoption of all-aluminum new energy vehicles (NEVs), vehicle value and safety performance have been significantly improved, driving steadily rising demand for aluminum. This article reviews the current application status and development trends of aluminum alloys in the automotive sector.

Application of Aluminum Automotive Sheets in NEVs

From January to November 2021, China’s NEV sales reached 2.99 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of 170%. The rapid growth of the NEV industry is closely linked to progress in battery technology, automated control systems, and advanced materials. As major breakthroughs in battery technology have yet to be achieved, vehicle lightweighting remains a critical research focus for the industry.

Aluminum alloys offer high specific strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and outstanding recyclability. Aluminum castings have been used in engine and chassis systems for over a century, yet the adoption of aluminum sheets for exterior body panels developed relatively slowly. Prior to 2010, such applications were mainly limited to premium models such as the Audi A8. As a leader in NEVs, Tesla was among the first to introduce a full-aluminum body structure, achieving notable results in carbon-credit management. The launch of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory further accelerated the development of China’s NEV sector, with brands such as NIO achieving impressive sales for full-aluminum body models.

Supply Status of Aluminum Automotive Sheets

In the early stage, renowned aluminum processors such as Alcoa, Alusuisse, and Alcan collaborated with automakers including Leyland, Ford, and Jaguar Land Rover to develop customized aluminum automotive sheets, achieving exclusive supply arrangements.

With increasing lightweighting requirements, the rapid expansion of the NEV market, and rising cost pressures on OEMs, aluminum automotive sheet specifications have gradually moved toward standardization. For example, the European VDA standards have unified key technical indicators. Novelis, currently the world’s largest aluminum automotive sheet supplier, expanded capacity through new investments and acquisitions, reaching 1 million tonnes per year across North America, Europe, and Asia by 2020.

In China, large-scale investments in aluminum automotive sheet production lines were made over the past decade, but only in recent years has mass production been realized due to market and technical constraints. In 2020, major domestic suppliers—including Nanshan Aluminum, Nannan Aluminum, Chalco Ruimin, and Zhongwang Group—achieved a combined capacity of approximately 400,000 tonnes, with an additional 120,000 tonnes expected in 2022. Overall, global capacity continues to expand, and supply–demand balance has not yet been reached.

Production Technology and Equipment Bottlenecks

The primary alloys used for 6xxx-series aluminum automotive sheets include 6016, 6014, and 6022, which are widely applied to exterior body panels. These materials require superior comprehensive performance, surface quality, and stability.

The mainstream production process is complex, involving casting, homogenization, machining, hot rolling, cold rolling, and continuous heat treatment. 6xxx-series sheets must exhibit excellent formability and hemming performance, stable resistance to natural aging, strong paint-bake hardening response, and must be free from Lüders lines after stamping. Meeting these stringent OEM requirements relies not only on high-quality cold-rolled feedstock but also on dedicated heat-treatment technologies and equipment, which remain the main capacity bottleneck.

Key Heat-Treatment Equipment

The air-cushion continuous heat-treatment furnace is the critical equipment for producing 6xxx-series aluminum automotive sheets. Its core modules include air-cushion quenching and pre-aging systems, supported by auxiliary units such as decoilers, welders, cleaners, loopers, tension levelers, and recoilers. Integrated surface pretreatment systems can be customized to OEM requirements (BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Tesla, etc.), enabling oxide removal, chemical conversion coating, and protective oil application.

Due to the low strength, high temperature sensitivity, and susceptibility to surface scratching during heat treatment, air-cushion lines—with their precise temperature control, high productivity, and superior surface quality—have become the preferred solution. However, this technology has long been dominated by foreign suppliers such as EBNER. Northeastern University in China is now developing domestic air-cushion floating technology and control systems, with the first local production line scheduled to commence operation at Guangxi Nannan Aluminum in August 2022.

Exploring Cost-Reduction Routes

To reduce costs and improve efficiency, the aluminum industry is exploring the feasibility of continuous casting and rolling (CC) processes. In this method, hot rolling follows immediately after continuous casting, before the slab cools below its recrystallization temperature. U.S. Federal Aluminum Research confirmed that 5754 aluminum produced via CC meets automotive requirements in mechanical, corrosion, welding, and forming performance.

However, for 6xxx-series aluminum automotive sheets, significant technical challenges remain, including microstructural uniformity, shape control, surface quality, and multi-stand automation. Integrated research combining equipment, process, and material development is required to achieve full industrialization.

Low-Carbon Aluminum Automotive Sheets

In May 2021, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a series of interim rules on carbon-emissions registration, trading, and settlement. Although the automotive sector is not yet directly included in carbon trading, OEMs are expected to impose carbon-reduction targets on suppliers, accelerating decarbonization across the supply chain.

The main emission sources in aluminum production are alumina refining (≈9%) and primary aluminum electrolysis (≈88%). Low-carbon aluminum pathways include renewable energy use, low-carbon electrolysis technology, process optimization, and recycled aluminum integration.

China’s primary aluminum capacity is 48.57 million tonnes per year, with 20.3% powered by clean energy—90.1% of which is hydropower, concentrated in Yunnan and Sichuan. For example, Yunnan Aluminum (Chalco Group) achieves carbon emissions as low as 3 kg CO₂ per kg Al. Internationally, Emirates Global Aluminium supplies solar-powered “CelestiAL” aluminum to BMW, cutting 222,000 tonnes of indirect CO₂ annually, while Century Aluminum in Iceland produces Natur-Al using hydro and geothermal energy.

Breakthrough technologies such as Alcoa–Rio Tinto’s inert-anode Elysis™ process and Rusal’s ALLOW brand further push carbon intensity toward 2 kg CO₂ per kg Al, while Hydro plans to achieve zero-carbon smelting by 2030 using HalZero technology and CCS.

Recycling Aluminum Automotive Sheets

With rising aluminum usage and the implementation of carbon policies, recycled aluminum automotive sheets are becoming a joint focus for automakers and processors. While recycled aluminum is widely used for die-cast components, high-performance stamping sheets demand cleaner feedstock. Scrap from stamping processes—typically achieving a yield of 40–60%—is highly suitable for closed-loop recycling, especially when alloy series are segregated at source.

Consumer scrap such as cans, wires, and construction profiles must be carefully dismantled, sorted, remelted, refined, and filtered to remove impurities before being reused for automotive sheet production.

Conclusion

The accelerating demand for aluminum in the NEV sector is driving rapid growth in China’s aluminum automotive sheet industry. Domestic technology maturity and product quality now rival imported materials, enabling partial import substitution. As NEV production capacity continues to expand, the industry must accelerate the localization of key equipment such as air-cushion continuous heat-treatment furnaces, while also advancing recycled low-carbon aluminum solutions to achieve full life-cycle energy savings and emissions reduction.

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