Nissan Expands Use of Advanced High Tensile Strength Steel

Nissan said it will expand the use of advanced high tensile strength steel up to 25% of the new production models’ parts.

Nissan will begin using the AHSS beginning with 2017, part of its plan to reduce vehicle weight. The new Infiniti Q50, which will go on sales in North America this year, uses Nissan’s 1.2 gigapascal (GPa) ultra-high tensile strength steel with high formability, the only automaker to use this. Using the 1.2 GPa ultra-high strength steel, Nissan will be able to rise the adoption rate of AHSS to 25% of the vehicle’s parts.

Nissan will apply this strategy beginning with 2017 and plans to reduce the weight of Nissan vehicles by 15% with the corresponding body structure rationalization. The use of 1.2 GPa ultra-high tensile strength steel offer strength, high formability and greater elongation, which makes it perfect for complex shapes.

Also, using the 1.2 GPa high tensile strength steel the automaker reduces the use of materials per vehicle produced and the existing production lines can also be used without major modifications. Under Nissan’s mid-term environmental plan, called the Nissan Green Programme 2016, the automaker aims towards a 35% improvement in fuel economy.