Nissan to use high-tensile steel to make vehicles lighter and safer

Nissan Motor Co., together with Japanese steelmakers, has developed high-tensile steel that is 20-100% stronger than existing products. The steel will make vehicles lighter and safer and Nissan plans to use it in new vehicles which are scheduled to be released in 2013. The automaker will use the 1,180-megapascal steel in the sides of the bodies of cars. The conventional steel used for the sides of car bodies has a strength of 590-980 megapascals. The auto industry has long maintained that steel with more than 980 megapascals cannot be used in cars. The Japanese steelmakers started to develop the 1,180- megapascal steel sometime in 2008 at Nissan’s request. Nissan said that vehicles’ weights can be reduced by 15% if the new steel is used. (October 6, 2011)