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Novelis Alloy closes the loop for Jaguar Land Rover
Novelis Alloy closes the loop for Jaguar Land Rover
The recently launched Jaguar XE, a new advanced sports car from Jaguar Landrover (JLR), has seen the British automaker partner with Novelis—a world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling—to supply aluminium sheets for key components of the car's construction process.
16 March, 2016
As announced by Novelis, the new RC5754 aluminium alloy (designed to contain up to 75% recycled content) has been successfully put to use in the high-performance XE, which can come with as much as 340 HP (for the Jaguar XE S).
This partnership forms a part of the REALCAR (REcycled ALuminium CAR) project, which aims to create a closed-loop value chain to recycle vehicles at the end of their useful lives. This initiative, launched by JLR in 2008, has seen the Novelis recycling plant in Latchford convert JLR's aluminium scrap into new aluminium sheet, thus closing the manufacturing loop.
Novelis is proud to be the supplier of aluminium sheet to Jaguar Land Rover, enabling novel, lightweight construction platforms, such as the XE... the XE once again reflects the leadership of Jaguar Land Rover and Novelis in the design and production of high-volume aluminium vehicles and is another important milestone in body engineering, redefining the standard in its classYou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
Pierre Labat
Vice President and General Manager Automotive, Novelis Europe
The new RC5754 aluminium alloy, produced by Novelis, brings many benefits to JLR. The new Jaguar XE represents an opportunity to prove the alloy's capabilities in a high-end vehicle from an iconic British brand. As Pierre Labat goes on to explain: "Novelis' new RC5754 alloy not only meets the high recycled content threshold required by Jaguar Land Rover's REALCAR project, but also it delivers the strength, durability and formability specified by world-leading Jaguar Land Rover engineers."
Novelis developed the aluminium sheeting for the XE in close co-operation with JLR. The resulting sheet uses Novelis Advanz 6000 series alloys, which were developed purposely for automotive skin sheet and structural applications. It is this aluminium skin that enables the XE to be the lightest, stiffest, and most aerodynamic Jaguar sedan so far produced.
Novelis developed the aluminium sheeting for the XE in close co-operation with JLR. The resulting sheet uses Novelis Advanz 6000 series alloys, which were developed purposely for automotive skin sheet and structural applications. It is this aluminium skin that enables the XE to be the lightest, stiffest, and most aerodynamic Jaguar sedan so far produced.
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REALCAR has proven to be a resounding success, delivering financial and environmental benefits to both Jaguar Land Rover and Novelis, and contributing to the efforts of both companies to meet their environmental sustainability goals. Crucially, the experience gained and lessons learned from the creation and implementation of a closed-loop value chain for automotive aluminium are potentially applicable to other materials and other industries."
The REALCAR scheme has proven so successful, in fact, that Novelis and JLR have agreed to expand their partnership and use high-recycled content alloy on all future JLR vehicles.
It is not only JLR who have benefited from Novelis technology. Novelis has pioneered the adoption of aluminium throughout the auto industry, and Novelis products can now be found in over 180 vehicle models produced by the world's leading auto manufacturers. Novelis has tripled their production of automotive sheet to 900,000 metric tons since 2011, with the company predicting 30% growth in demand for aluminium sheet each year until at least the end of the present decade.
Recently, Novelis has also been partnering with Ford to close their loop for automotive aluminium as well. In 2015, Novelis was able to supply aluminium for the Ford F-150. The choice of aluminium improved the fuel efficiency of the vehicle by cutting the weight by 700 pounds, and it is estimated that a 10% reduction in weight produces a 5-7% saving in fuel use. Aluminium use by JLR, Ford, and many other automakers is leading the way in developing the next generation of more fuel efficient, lighter, and safer vehicles.
It is not only JLR who have benefited from Novelis technology. Novelis has pioneered the adoption of aluminium throughout the auto industry, and Novelis products can now be found in over 180 vehicle models produced by the world's leading auto manufacturers. Novelis has tripled their production of automotive sheet to 900,000 metric tons since 2011, with the company predicting 30% growth in demand for aluminium sheet each year until at least the end of the present decade.
Recently, Novelis has also been partnering with Ford to close their loop for automotive aluminium as well. In 2015, Novelis was able to supply aluminium for the Ford F-150. The choice of aluminium improved the fuel efficiency of the vehicle by cutting the weight by 700 pounds, and it is estimated that a 10% reduction in weight produces a 5-7% saving in fuel use. Aluminium use by JLR, Ford, and many other automakers is leading the way in developing the next generation of more fuel efficient, lighter, and safer vehicles.