GM Pickups To Have Aluminum Bodies Too, But Four Years Behind Ford

It's long been known that aluminum is an effective way of reducing the weight of vehicles, but Ford's adoption of the metal for its 2015 F-150 truck has finally spurred others into action in the pickup class too.

General Motors has recently secured contracts with aluminum suppliers Alcoa and Novelis Inc so it can produce its own aluminum-bodied truck.

According to The Wall Street Journal though, it won't arrive until around late 2018--giving its rival Ford a hefty head-start in the market.

For some automakers, aluminum is the most effective way of improving the efficiency of large, heavy trucks, and one of the most effective way to meet stricter future fuel efficiency targets.

Use of aluminum has cut several hundred pounds off the weight of the new F-150, not only useful for efficiency improvements but also to the benefit of acceleration and braking performance and vehicle handling.

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Lighter bodies can also allow the use of smaller, lighter engines, in a virtuous circle for efficiency. The 2015 F-150 offers a 2.7-liter six-cylinder powerplant as one of its engine choices, much smaller than the norm in such vehicles.